Appeal Court order brings relief to CMC

Colombo’s Mayor Rosy Senanayake was breathing a sigh of relief yesterday after the Colombo Municipal Council ( CMC) overcame one of its most troubled issues -- the dumping of garbage.

The Court of Appeal on Friday ordered the Wanathavillu Pradeshiya Sabha and its chairman not to interfere in or obstruct the CMC from disposing garbage at the Aruwakkalu site till the case is heard completely.

After the Meetotamulla garbage dump collapse in which more than twenty people died, the CMC’s degradable and non-recyclable solid waste was disposed in a Kerawalapitiya state land managed by the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation ( SLLRDC). It functions under the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development.

The SLLRDC terminated an arrangement with the CMC to dump waste at Kerawalapitiya from August 2. The waste issue became the subject of top- level discussions at the Prime Minister’s Office. Taking part were officials of the Local Government Ministry, Megapolis Ministry and the SLLRDC.

There was no settlement reached. Even the CMC’s agreement with Western Power Company (a subsidiary of Aitken Spence) to dispose solid waste at its Waste Energy plant could not be done. The plant will be commissioned only in January next year.

The CMC accused the Megapolis Ministry of insisting that the council should transport the garbage to Aruwakkalu by road – a task that would cost Rs 45 million every month. The CMC said that the transfer of 200 metric tonnes daily also posed health hazards.

The Council said that early this week, the first fleet of trucks carrying garbage arrived at Aruwakkalu only to be prevented from entering the site by security officers. The CMC charged that the Wanathavillu Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman had come to the site and ordered the trucks to turn back. Hence, the move to go to courts.