Colombo's garbage remains uncleared

Lakshmi DE SILVA

The Colombo city's garbage is still remaining uncleared for many days.

This has posed a serious problem for commuters and pedestrians who came to make their last minute purchases for the coming Sinhala/Hindu New Year or to travel out of Colombo to reach their hometowns yesterday.

The main road Olcott Mawatha was almost impassable opposite the Fort railway station with polluted water stagnated on either side and the drainage system clogged with polythene blocking water.

The stench was unbearable. The people who came to the city had no option even after the Supreme Court had given a ruling to dump the city's garbage at a place in Peliyagoda.

Urban Development and Sacred Area Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has allotted two alternative lands to dump the garbage.

The recent move to dump the garbage at Peliyagoda and Kolonnawa areas were stopped after the Colombo Municipal Council drivers who were transporting the garbage were prevented from bringing in vehicles loaded with garbage. Garbage has become a political issue and also a money making issue, a senior official of the CMC said. Though the Colombo Municipal Council Special Commissioner and some of the members were trying to solve the problem, the local people were protesting against dumping garbage at their doorstep and there was no cooperation.

"This problem could not be solved overnight but after the New Year holidays officials will have to address this at a higher level and find an alternative solution Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana said.

Several residents of Colombo said there was no immediate solution in sight but the problem could worsen if the garbage collected in the city was not collected soon.