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| Sunday, 7 March 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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CMC, police get together for poster removal program by ANTON NONIS The poster campaign for the General Election 2004 is going on wildly and has started to once again deface the city's parapet walls, telephone booths, buildings and other constructions at an alarming rate. The Police and Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) authorities are engaged in a tough task to remove these, but with little success. According to CMC Solid Waste Director, Lalith Wickremaratne, who is in charge of the clearing, there could be more than half a million election posters within the city. The numbers keep increasing no sooner they are removed. Walls and constructions that are cleared once get another layer plastered almost immediately. CMC sources said about 500 notice boards are fitted at various places in the city for the display of posters. CMC's poster removal program started in 1999. A lorry fitted with high pressure water cannon with rotating action was used for the purpose. Only one vehicle was used at the beginning. As the volume of posters on the constructions increased, another three vehicles had to be purchased. Each vehicle had cost nearly two million rupees. The water pressure equipment cost another Rs. 250,000 each. One thousand litres of water are filled into the apparatus. Once this water had been used, a fresh supply is pumped in at the Maligakande reservoir. The posters and cut-outs which are removed are collected into garbage trucks and taken to the dumping sites. Though it is a low cost operation, it is time consuming and requires about five workers. In addition, private companies such as Abans and Carekleen are also involved in removing posters under the direct supervision of the CMC. Deputy Inspector General in charge of the Police Elections Secretariat, Gamini Navaratne said that strict instructions have been issued to police officers to arrest anyone engaged in the poster campaign, irrespective of their political affiliations. He said it is an offence under the Elections Law. Posters or cut-outs could be displayed at the residence or office premises of the candidate, the DIG said. |
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