Cabinet approves $ 107 solid waste disposal system for Colombo
Friday, 15 August 2014 00:10
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Rubbish to be taken by train to site in Puttalam
By Uditha Jayasinghe
Colombo’s garbage problem is being given a $ 107 million solution after Cabinet yesterday approved a solid waste disposal system for the capital.
The Government plans to construct a sanitary landfill in Aruakkalu in the Puttalam District and transport the solid waste generated in Colombo and its suburbs there. According to the Cabinet paper, the Railway Department has already completed design work for the rail transportation systems as well as preparation of specifications for locomotives and rolling stocks.
“We have already completed the Environmental Impact Assessment and the whole project will be of international standard,” assured Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. A transfer station will be constructed at the existing disposal site in Meethotamulla for the transfer of garbage.
The Government estimates 700 metric tons of waste is generated by greater Colombo, which climbs to 1,200 metric tons when outlying areas of the capital are added.
Rambukwella responding to questions told reporters the garbage, once it is transported to Puttalam, will be used as fuel in the Holcim factory in operation there. The proposal was submitted to Cabinet by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as Minister of Defence and Urban Development.
Earlier this year residents of Meethotamulla held protests demanding the 16-acre garbage dump be removed and the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) stop dumping truckloads of rubbish. They blockaded the entrance to the dump for days before being forcibly dispersed by the Police.
The rapid accumulation of garbage at the 16-acre dump site has exposed more than 90% of the Meethotamulla residents to virulent diseases including dengue, malaria and other gastro-intestinal infections, according to surveys conducted by the Women’s Movement for Freedom (WMFF). This is in addition to a study on 100 households in the area, which reflect that over 70% of the inhabitants suffer from skin disorders as a result of the accumulation of garbage.
Following the protests, the CMC pledged to put in place a recycling mechanism, which has been largely ineffective. Disgruntled residents have also been preparing for additional protests, according to recent media reports.
