AG tells court President has approved new laws on visual pollution

The Attorney General (AG)'s Department today (Nov 7), informed the Appeal Court, that the President has approved a new set of laws concerning visual pollution.

A state counsel appearing for the AG's Department made these submissions, when a mandamus writ petition filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), was taken up for hearing today.

The CEJ had petitioned the court seeking an order directing the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to implement laws on visual pollution caused by posters on roads.

They claimed that the laws introduced by the CEA upon orders issued by the Appeal Court in 2014, have not been implemented yet.

Accordingly, the court heard today, that the new set of regulations would be gazetted by the CEA in due course. The petition has been fixed for further hearing on November 13. 

The CEA, Acting Inspector General of Police Chandana Wickramaratne, and the AG's Department have been named as respondents to the petition.