Drinking water contaminated:

Toxic waste dumped into Mudun Ela

By Dhaneshi YATAWARA

Authorities are still examining the condition of the drinking water in and around Batahena road of Ganemulla, Kadawatha and specially in those areas close to the Mudun Ela. The situation emerged when a private company, which has now been identified by the Central Environment Authority, dumped a load of chemical waste in to Mudun Ela early last week.

The chemical waste had been dumped at the culvert on the Batahena road in Ganemulla, Kadawatha.

The residents of the area witnessing the event had promptly reported it to the Central Environment Authority enabling the officials to locate the culprits without delay.

Samples of the polluted water were collected from the site by the Central Environment Authority (CEA) officials attached to the Gampaha District Office. The samples will be tested against the chemicals from the factory.

Mudun Ela is a branch of the Kelani river and flows through Ganemulla and Kiribathgoda where even the furthest point from the city centre is highly populated. Authorities are conducting investigations to find out as to whether these petty minded businessmen had been dumping chemicals for a considerable time and possibly at other waterways located in these areas. Residents of Batahena road had witnessed dead fish in large numbers near the culvert which evidently showed that water had got poisoned.

On the directions of the Chairman of the CEA, Wimal Rubasinghe, field investigations commenced immediately following the complaint filed by the residents, according to the CEA media unit. Preliminary investigations reveal that this toxic waste had been from a thinner chemical plant. Thinner chemicals are used in applying and coating paint on different surfaces. The identified chemical plant is located in the Kalutara district and they have outsourced the responsibility of dumping the waste to company in Peliyagoda. No one knows yet for how many years these partners in crime had been doing business.

They carry the toxic waste in a bowser to wherever they wish to dump it and on that day it had been the Mudun Ela. “Following investigations we will take stern action against the companies,” said CEA, Chairman Wimal Rubasinghe. “The Government’s vision is to have a clean, environment-friendly country while we are developing as a country.

The law is there to take action against those who pollute and harm the environment and the people. What we need is more and more public support in reporting, complaining to us about such polluters in addition to our network of CEA offices established islandwide,” Rubasinghe said.

While public attention is crucial we as an institute need to be more vigilant too, he said. “I have worked as an Assistant Government Agent for nearly 16 years and with my experience the CEA officers at the regional level can do a far more better job,” he said. To enhance the regional network the CEA have launched a special program in visiting the regional offices and looking into details of what makes the network inefficient at times.

“Actually it is our officers who should get the information first in any environment issue – be it pollution or red rain. Our officers do much work at ground level but there are lapses in certain instances due to many reasons. So at present we are looking into this problem and trying to set up an efficient system,” Rubasinghe said.