No facilities to check UK garbage containers at port: Govt Analyst

After nearly eight months since the detection of suspected clinical waste at the Colombo Port that was being smuggled into the country from the UK, the Government Analyst's Department today informed the Court of Appeal that it did not have the infrastructure to carry out checks.

Accordingly the Court of Appeal today ordered the Secretary of the Environment Ministry and the Attorney General to take suitable action.

This was after a petition filed by Centre for Environmental Justice seeking a court order to prevent transporting the waste containers to other internal destinations other than for the purpose of reexport back to the UK be issued was taken up in court

The petition was taken up by CA President Yasantha Kodagoda and Justice Arjuna Obeysekara.

The court extended the interim order until January 23.

In May 2019, Sri Lanka Customs Department found 111 containers filled with used mattresses, carpets, plant parts and some hospital waste contaminated with biomedical waste in the Colombo harbor sparking off a major controversy.

However, the containers had been brought to the country in the latter part of 2017. (MG)