Don't believe in false promises

IUSF launches awareness campaign in Meethotamulla:

By Ryhanna Salie

Members of the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) launched a fresh awareness campaign yesterday to educate the Meethotamulla residents about false promises given by the authorities to solve the garbage dump site issue. The campaign was launched in the wake of the authorities deciding to further expand the dumping site, despite contrary promises made to the residents

IUSF Convener Lahiru Weerasekara who spearheaded the awareness campaign, said although the Meethotamulla dump site issue remains a major issue in Sri Lanka, a proper solution was yet to be found.

"The authorities have decided to expand the garbage dump site by 3.5 acres," he said, adding that the IUSF had launched their campaign in the Meethotamulla area to raise awareness about false promises given by the authorities.

Close to 800 tonnes of garbage collected from Colombo is dumped at the Meethotamulla site on a daily basis, making it a minefield of environmental and health hazards.

Nuwan Bopage of the People's Movement Against Meethotamulla Garbage, claiming that the Colombo Municipal Council was planning to expand the garbage site by three and a half acres said 300 houses have already been demolished, and warned that the same fate awaits another 500 to 600 houses. He said, "For the time being we want to stop the expansion and that is our main demand right now."

Bopage also said they had tried to contact several government officials regarding the problem but to no avail. He also said that since 2011, they have organised ten protests to highlight the plight of the 15,000 residents suffering because of the garbage load. "There have been thirty deaths and many cases of dengue, rat fever and asthma. The Ceylon Medical Officers Association (GMOA) diagnosed 60% of the children as suffering from skin diseases.

There is air pollution because of the methane gas that is emitted and there is also a terrible stench," he said.

A senior resident of Kolonnawa, Padma Abeysinghe said, "We have been living here for more than sixty years but we cannot live here now when it rains, because the stench is so bad and all the doors and windows have to be closed.

We suffer from recurring sore throats and respiratory problems. We are supporting the protests because we worked hard to earn money and build a house but now we don't know where we are going to go."

The organisers of the awareness campaign said cases have been filed by villagers and a stay order has been obtained to prevent the site from being expanded.