Mount Lavinia beach: Police say garbage washed up from ocean floor due to monsoon

Police say that the garbage that has been washing up on Mount Lavinia beach since last week had been deposited on the ocean floor but had been brought ashore by strong waves and currents at sea due to the monsoon season. 

Speaking to Timesonline, a police officer familiar with the investigation added that the fishing community in the area have complained that the garbage being washed ashore now was what had earlier been deposited at sea owing to sand being pumped from the ocean to this stretch of coastline.

The garbage first started washing up on a 1 km stretch of coastline in Mount Lavinia on June 4. 

While action was taken to remove the garbage from the beach the following day, more started washing up over the next several days, including June 6, 7 and 8. Accordingly, garbage had been washing up on the beach even until yesterday, though the amount was far less than on previous days.

Investigations into the incident are being conducted by the Mount Lavinia Police under the supervision of the Senior DIG in charge of the Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon.

While garbage had washed up on the beach on previous occasions during monsoon season, far more had been washed ashore this week owing to rougher seas and the nature of the currents, the source further said.