Mayor calls for urgent measures on garbage issue

Nipuni WIMALAPALA

Colombo Mayor A.J.M. Muzammil stressed the importance of taking immediate initiatives to upgrade the condition of Colombo city garbage dumping area, since the current situation creates a lot of issues for the people living in the area.

He was addressing a special council meeting at the Colombo Town Hall on Wednesday to discuss the risky situation prevailing at the Pothuwilkubura, Colombo city garbage area at Kolonnawa.

“It is necessary to categorize garbage of every place in Colombo and receive the garbage under a categorized basis by the final place to avoid confusion and various problems. The particular authorities have to take the responsibility and take strict action, if required to make the process smooth. “Due to the researches done by the Urban Development Authority, Divisional Secretariat and Colombo Municipal Council, it is found that at the moment, there are about 163 families who are displaced by the situation in Kolonnawa.

“They will be provided with temporary houses, lands and rented houses until permanent houses are built”, he said.

The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) will prepare a report of the current condition of the garbage dumping land and its future availability to dump garbage, on the instructions of Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, The Mayor said the work will be carried out under the guidance of Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.