Plight of Ambulawawa residents to be discussed
By Isuri Yasasmin Kaviratne
A delegation of villagers headed by the Ambuluwawa Hamuduruwo will
attend a discussion tomorrow, May 30, at the Human Right Commission in
Kandy to discuss their plight after the Ambuluwawa Mountain landslide.
Villagers lament that despite assurances given by the Municipality that
dumping of garbage would be discontinued, it has not been so and has
been a garbage dump for the past five years.
Over 70 people have taken refuge at the Ambuluwawa temple. After the
recent deluge, approximately 75,000 tons of garbage together with the
land slid down, surrounding their homes.
Unanvitiye Shanthabhadra thera (also known as Ambuluwawe hamuduruwo)
said they will focus on removing the mound of garbage that now prevents
the people from returning to their houses.
The mountain of garbage had slanted towards S.H. Bandara, who was a
residentof the area's house. He said he and the other parties affected
by the landslide, will reach an agreement on Monday as to what steps
they should take.
"When the Human Rights Commissioner visited Ambuluwawa, she told us
we had been treated unfairly by the dumping of garbage near our homes in
a way that the safety of the area and cleanliness of the environment
were threatened."
He said the Commissioner had said that they should be adequately
compensated.
Gampola Municipal Council representatives and other relevant parties
are scheduled to attend the discussion on Monday.
Villagers blame the Municipal Council for dumping garbage close to
their homes, ignoring their protests.
They explained that a court case filed against the Municipal Council
was withdrawn, on the assurance that the dumping of garbage would
discontinued but this did not happen and the dumping of garbage
continued.
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