Garbage disposal declared essential, but protests continue

Another silent protest was held near the Karadiyana garbage dump in Piliyandala after the police yesterday obtained a court order against protest campaigns.

The moves came as preparations got underway over the formation of a central authority under the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government to oversee collection and disposal of garbage.

Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told the Sunday Times that the new Authority would have powers on deciding on tenders regarding disposal of garbage, selection of sites and deciding on private projects on recycling.

He said the Authority comprising representatives from the Environmental Ministry, provincial councils and local councils would be vested with more powers than local councils on collection of garbage and disposal.

Minister Ranawaka said that the municipalities of Colombo, Kolonnawa, Kaduwela, Kotte, DehiwalaMount Lavinia, Moratuwa and Wattala in the Western Province had been identified by the Government as areas where the garbage problem was at its worst. In areas outside the Western Province, Kandy, Galle and Matara also face acute garbage related issues, he added.

He said until the Authority was put in place they would have to temporarily dump the garbage at several places.

The Megapolis and Western Development Ministry, on its part, would take steps to reduce the height of the garbage dump at Meethotamulla to below 30 metres to prevent further collapses, he said. The Ministry was also working on a project to transport garbage to the Aruwakkalu sanitary landfills. A garbage disposal site would also be set up for the International Financial City or Colombo Port City now under construction.

Meanwhile, a week after the tragedy, the death toll from the Meethotamulla garbage dump collapse stands at 32. Eight people are still listed as missing, according to the Disaster Management Center (DMC). According to the DMC, 60 houses had been fully damaged while 22 others were partially damaged.

Some 315 people from 72 families have been displaced by the disaster and they are now accommodated at the Terrance N. De Silva Maha Vidyalaya in Kolonnawa.