by Norman Palihawadane
The Colombo Municipal Council gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court last week to utilise a 35-acre land at Ja-Ela for dumping of city’s garbage hereafter, but Head of Catholic Church Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday expressed opposition to polluting the northern suburb of Colombo.
The authorities, responsible for garbage disposal, should take action to dump garbage at a location uninhabited by people, Cardinal Ranjith said. He said he would make a request from the CMC on behalf of the people of Ja-Ela, which is a very populous area, to change the plan to dump garbage there.
Dumping garbage in Ja-Ela would contaminate water bodies and pollute the entire area, the prelate said.
The Cardinal said that he had received complaints from people of Ja-Ela against the plan to shift the Garbage dump site from Meethotamulla to their area. There had been media reports announcing the plan, he said.
The CMC on Jan 09 informed Supreme Court that it had decided against dumping garbage at the Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa and it had obtained a private land from Ja-Ela area for the purpose.
On a previous occasion, the Supreme Court ordered the respondents including the CMC to come up with their project plans that were said to have got underway to halt for continuous garbage dumping at Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa.
The CMC revealed these facts when a fundamental right petition against the Meetotamulla garbage was taken up for inquiry.
The petition has been filed by seven residents of Meetotamulla area citing the CMC, Urban Development Authority, Western Province Waste Management Authority, Central Environmental Authority, Kolonnawa Municipal Council and the Attorney General as respondents.
The counsel who appeared for the CMC informed Court that it had long term solutions to solve the issue including a plan to have the garbage transported to a 35-acres land in Ja-ela.
Earler the Supreme Court granted leave to proceed with this fundamental rights petition.
The petitioners are seeking a declaration from Court that the proposed expansion of the dumping site is an imminent infringement of their fundamental rights.
Approximately 750 to 1,200 tons of garbage are brough to the site daily.
The stench is now becoming unbearable for the families and children and that there is a tremendous and serious health hazard, with around 30 people of the area having so far died due to germs and dengue, rat fever and skin and kidney diseases.
They maintain there are other sustainable solutions (other than the dumping of garbage in the aforesaid manner), which could bring an end to this problem, but that these measures are not being taken by the respondents.
Courtesy: The Island