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Wednesday, 19 April 2017 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shanika Sriyananda
Colombo Municipal Commissioner V.K.A. Anura yesterday expressed confidence over managing the city’s waste, dismissing criticism from certain politicians from the ruling party that the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) was responsible for the Meethotamulla garbage dump collapse.
He told the Daily FT that the CMC had done its best to manage waste in Colombo and would commence a long-term solid waste management project soon. He added that garbage disposal was not an issue and the CMC could manage it well.
Commissioner Anura said that the existing 91-metre open garbage dump would be cleared by the Urban Development Authority.
“The CMC will not dump waste in Meethotamulla anymore. We have identified several dumping sites for Colombo’s waste in Colombo,” Anura said.
Calling the Colombo Magistrate’s decision to allow Colombo’s garbage to be dumped in Karadiyana in Piliyandala a temporary solution, he said the CMC would be permitted to dump garbage not only in Karadiyana but at several other locations.
However, when asked to name the identified locations, he declined to reveal this information, saying he was tired of answering calls from media from morning till dusk.
“I got over 150 calls now and I can’t give all this information to everyone. This is a very sensitive issue now and I do not want to provoke people by giving you the locations. It is a headache now and I do not have time to attend to my other work,” said Anura before hanging up the phone.
Residents of Meethotamulla protested several times against the CMC dumping garbage at the site and they also attacked the garbage trucks which tried to dump waste on the day after the Meethotamulla garbage mountain collapsed, killing 31.
However, sources told the Daily FT some trucks were seen dumping garbage at a playground in Maligathenna, Dompe in the Gampaha District.
In another related development, residents in Kottikawatta protested against the dumping of garbage last evening.
Parliamentarian S.M. Marrikkar on Monday said the CMC was 90% responsible for the tragedy, which was triggered due to the endless dumping of Colombo’s waste at the Meethotamulla site, ignoring the strong opposition of residents from the area.
“We have protested several times demanding to stop the dumping of garbage in Meethotamulla but everyone we approached turned a blind eye,” he said.
Marrikkar claimed that the deadly disaster could have been prevented if the CMC heeded the demands of the people who suffered for two decades due to the dumping of garbage in their area.
The National Building Research Organization (NBRO), which predicts another slip if heavy rains occur during the next few days, is in the process of demarcating vulnerable areas in Meethotamulla with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Army.
Director of the Landslides Research and Disaster Management Division of the NBRO, R.M.S. Bandara, told the Daily FT that the dumpsite in Meethotamulla, which had already become a falling mass due to the dumping of tonnes of garbage, would run the risk of collapsing again if the dumping of waste continued and also as a result of the heavy rains.
“When it is raining the waste dump gets heavier and it might slip again,” he said.
He said the final report on the demarcation of vulnerable areas would be handed over to the Divisional Secretary today.
Military Spokesman Brig. Roshan Seneviratne confirmed that 31 people had died due to the Meethotamulla disaster and search operations would continue today as well.
“We have not received any instructions to stop search operations so far. Therefore over 1,500 military, STF and Police personnel will continue with their search operations,” he added.
