Licensed to Grill

The Hatton Municipal Council, facing an issue of disposal of garbage, currently transports its garbage for 52 km, daily. This was revealed at a recent meeting of the District Infrastructure Development Committee held at the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat.

“Due to the lack of a landfill site in Hatton, our councils have to dispose the garbage accumulated within city limits on a land belonging to the Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha, located about 52km away," Mayor of Hatton S. Balachandra told the meeting.

Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure Facilities State Minister Jeevan Thondaman urged for a solution to the issue which had existed for a long period of time.

District Development Committee Chairman S. B. Dissanayake suggested for abandoned lands to be used to dump garbage owned by the estate companies.

“Although some areas have been chosen for this purpose, no solution has been found so far. It is advisable to find a remedy as soon as possible,” he said.

Urban Development State Minister Nalaka Godahewa said steps would be taken to discuss the matter with the Central Province Governor, so action could be taken.

Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, who presided over the meeting, said that the many problems faced by people in the estate sector need to be addressed immediately.

"We hope to have legal powers to create that welfare. The estate sector agents must work together to provide an effective solution concerning the problem," the Minister said.

Highways Minister Johnson Fernando, Mahaweli Zones, Canals, and Settlement Infrastructure Development Minister Siripala Gamlath, Rural Housing and Construction State Minister Indika Anuruddha, Rural and Divisional Drinking Water Supply Projects Development State Minister Sanath Nishantha were also present at the meeting.

The Ministers, secretaries and additional secretaries of the respective Ministries expressed their views on the issues of development in the rural areas of the Nuwara Eliya District.