SC raps CMC for creating stink

By Stanley Samarasinghe

The Supreme Court yesterday ordered the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to perform its statutory duties and implement a proper system for the disposal of garbage generated in the city of Colombo.
Currently, within the city, garbage is dumped in a haphazard manner.
The Court also ordered the ceasing of two agreements entered into by CMC for the disposal of garbage and to establish compost plant with Burns Trading (Private) Ltd and Burns Environmental and Technologies (Private) Ltd. of No. 11, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Mawatha, Colombo 14.
The bench comprising of Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva and Justices P. A. Ratnayaka and S. I. Imam made these orders, after considering a Fundamental Right Application filed by Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Opposition Leader, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, four members of CMC and seven citizens of Colombo city affected by the non disposal of garbage in the city.
The respondents were named as; Colombo Municipal Council Special Commissioner and Municipal Commissioner, Burns Trading (Private) Ltd, Burns Environmental and Technologies Chairman H. P. Wijeratna, Board of Investment, Central Environmental Authority and Attorney General.
Attorney-at-Law M. A. Samanthiran with Gehan Gunatilaka, instructed by Mohan Balendra appeared for the petitioners when the matter came up in court and submitted that CMC had entered in to agreements with the two Burns Companies for disposal of garbage generated in the city and to establish a compost plant.
For last eight years the CMC paid these two companies Rs. 425 million annually but their failure to fulfill the agreement resulted in garbage mountains emerging across the city and the wasting of tax payers’ money, Counsel Sumanthiran explained to court.
Deputy Solicitor General, Bimba Ratnaike submitted to the court that the garbage lying around will cause health hazards in the city and will adversely affect the water resources. Nihal Jayamanna PC appeared for two companies and requested the court to provide them with a short period of time to fulfill the agreement.