Coca Cola pays Rs. 131M compensation to Water Board

The Coca Cola plant charged with the pollution of the Kelani River with furnace oil following an explosion on August 17 – compelling the Company to temporarily shut down a fortnight later – has been given the licence to recommence its operations at Kaduwela.

Pure Beverages Ltd, the owning company paid Rs 131 million Thursday(24) to the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) for expenses incurred in repairing damages and cleaning the river of its toxic pollutant.

“The licence to operate has only been given temporarily and only after the company agreed to fulfill several conditions laid down by the Central Environment Authority (CEA) “Chairman, NWSDB, K.A. Anzar told the Sunday Observer. “We are watching the situation.”

Reiterating the licence was both temporary and could be withdrawn any time, Chairman CEA, Prof. Lal Mervyn Dharmasiri said, the decision to allow the Company to recommence its operations was based on several conditions.

“Our officers first visited the site to satisfy themselves of the measures taken by the company to rectify the situation.

“The former Secretary of the Water Board, Karunasena Hettiarachchi also assured us about the water quality. In addition to this, Pure Beverages Ltd gave us a written assurance that a similar incident would not occur again.

We also discussed the matter with the former top officials before taking this decision,” he said.

Hettiarachchi said, samples of water from 67 industrial areas from Sitawaka to the Ambatale Water Intake, were currently being examined at the CEA labs to ensure safe water in industrial areas close to catchment areas.

“Our lab technicians have already identified sites where such pollution has occurred.

After reviewing the results of the completed report, we will decide on what steps to take,” he said.