A Committee to review regulations on noise pollution has proposed amendments to existing laws  

 The 11 member committee appointed to review the laws and regulations on noise pollution had proposed several changes to the existing legal framework on noise pollution in Sri Lanka.

The proposals were made when the Committee handed over their report last week to the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitution Reforms, Wijeadasa Rajapaksa who appointed the committee.

Accordingly amendments were suggested to statutes such as the Penal Code, Motor Traffic Act and Police Ordinance to make the legal response to the noise pollution more effective.

The Committee also suggested publishing new regulations under the National Environmental Act to address the community noise pollution in Sri Lanka. In addition, with the aim of empowering the police to deal with complaints of noise pollution, amendments were proposed to the existing police circulars on the matter.

The Committee chaired by Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena, Judge of the Supreme Court comprises of  Parinda Ranasinghe, Senior Additional Solicitor General of the  Attorney General’s Department, Ms. Piyumanthi Peiris, Attorney-at-Law, Additional Secretary (Legal) of the Ministry of Justice R.H.M. Pathma Abeykoon. Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment P.B. Hemantha Jayasinghe, Director General of Central Environmental Authority Dr. Sanjaya Ratnayake, Attorney-at-Law,Deputy Director General Central Environmental Authority Kamal Priyantha, Director, Central Environmental Authority Ms. Lochana G. Punchihewa, Attorney-at-Law