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Wednesday, 24 July 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Opposition lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday criticised the Government in Parliament for not updating the House on details of the waste containers shipped to Sri Lanka and demanded to know what steps will be taken by the responsible parties to remove the shipment and ensure no future imports of similar material will be allowed.
MP Dissanayake using Standing Order 27 (2) demanded to know details about the controversial garbage containers imported to Sri Lanka. “It is the duty of the Minister to keep the Parliament informed without waiting for us to ask in Parliament. I demand to know the total number of waste containers imported to Sri Lanka. How many waste containers were re-exported? What action will be taken to re-export the waste containers detained at the Port of Colombo and found at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone? What action will you take against the waste importers? Will you take action to cancel the Gazette notification 1818/30? These containers contain waste that will destroy our environment for generations,” he said.
According to MP Dissanayake, Sri Lanka has become a garbage dump for rich nations and this latest consignment was imported to the country using loopholes in the legal system. “Containers full of waste are imported from the UK using some provisions found in a gazette notification. There is a risk that the imported garbage will be released into our environment in the days to come. According to reports, 225 containers were imported and only 102 were apprehended inside the Colombo Port by Sri Lanka Customs. However, it is also revealed 120 containers released from the Colombo Port are stacked in the Katunayake Free Trade Zone,” he said.
Challenging the Government to take legal action against the culprits behind the garbage import scam, MP Dissanayake wanted justice and equity regardless of the class and the wealth of the owners of the companies involved.
“On 17 July a team of officers from the Central Environment Authority have visited the site. They found that a part of the containers were re-exported and was also informed the remainder will also be re-exported. However, it is charged that this information was given to them by the person who imported the waste to Sri Lanka but that was not revealed during their investigation. It is indeed an issue of the lack of records on the garbage imports and the re-exports,” he said.
“It also reveals a considerable amount of the waste imported to Sri Lanka has left the port and come inside the country. There is a risk the remainder will also get disposed of in Sri Lanka discreetly. This will damage the environment. Future generations will have to suffer from such damages. According to Sri Lanka Customs, Gazette notification 1818/30 of 11 July 2013 issued during the Rajapaksa government paved the way to import waste,” he added.
The Government response is expected this week in Parliament. (AH)
