Marrikar lashes out at CMC for Meethotamulla tragedy

Charges some local politicians have garbage trucks

By Shanika Sriyananda

While agreeing that some local government politicians were engaged in the “garbage business” at the Meethotamulla waste dumping site, UNP Parliamentarian S.M. Marrikkar lashed out at the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) for neglecting to find an alternative garbage dumping site.

“The CMC is 90 % responsible for this calamity. We protested several times demanding to stop dumping Colombo’s garbage at this site as it was an impending danger that was waiting to strike. Everyone who we approached to stop dumping garbage turned a blind eye,” he claimed.

Marrikkar agreed that there were some local government politicians who owned lorries which transported Colombo’s garbage. “But it is not the issue here. If the CMC and other relevant authorities who are responsible for managing solid waste in Colombo took a decision to stop dumping waste at Meethotamulla this disaster could have prevented,” he said.

However, Marrikkar said he was sad as this Government could not find a solution although he made Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and all other subject ministers as well as top officials aware of the plight of the people living around the garbage dump.

“I lobbied in Parliament since last October. I met Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and was able to get a tender from the UDA to recycle the existing garbage at Meethotamulla. Since the tender process took one and half years, we protested against dumping more garbage at the site. But unfortunately no one had any concern to stop dumping waste at Meethotamulla,” Marrikkar said, adding that as an MP he took all possible action to make them aware of the pathetic situation in Meethotamulla.

The People’s Movement against the Kollonnawa Garbage Dump yesterday also hit out at politicians from the area for the tragedy in Meethotamulla.

PMKGD Convener Attorney-at-Law Nuwan Bopage claimed that politicians did not want solutions as the garbage dump had became a lucrative business for some of them who owned garbage trucks.

Military Spokesman Brig. Roshan Seneviratne said search and rescue operations will be continued by the tri-forces, STF and the Police today as well.

“But we have no hope for survivors. The rescue workers will search for survivors in a few more locations following the information given by the residents,” he confirmed.