"Sri Lanka is the only country that protested against polythene ban" - President

COLOMBO (News 1^st) - An event to commemorate World Environment Day, which falls tomorrow (June 05), was held under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena in Kegalle today (June 04). World Environment Day is being marked this year under the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution”. President Maithripala Sirisena also planted a sapling to symbolize the opening of the National ceremony of World Environmental Day. Speaking at the event President stated that due to climate change, people in Beijing, China have been forced to walk around with face masks attached to bags of oxygen adding that around two months ago, over 100 people died within a week in the Indian city of Delhi due to air pollution. He further stated that Sri Lanka has taken a decision to control the use of plastic and polythene and a new gazette notification has been issued on polythene as well. When a ban on polythene and plastic is imposed, anyone in the world with a brain and common sense will be happy about it, but Sri Lanka was the only country with people who got onto the streets to protest against the ban on polythene, said President Maithripala Sirisena. According to the head of state, a large group tried to prevent the gazette notification banning polythene and the proposal even came through to Cabinet, but he did not hesitate to go ahead with it. He stated that he stood firm and said that he will not cancel it and ordered the gazette notification to be implemented.