CMC pays Rs. 100 million to resolve garbage issue

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Land Reclamation and Development Corporation has begun accepting waste from Colombo once again after the Colombo Municipal Council paid Rs. 100 million for the service. Why did the CMC have to pay the SLLRDC to clean up the garbage? - Garbage collected in areas under the Colombo Municipal Council, Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha, Peliyagoda Urban Council, Wattala Mabole Urban Council, are dumped in a land owned by the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation. The garbage trucks of the CMC were not allowed to dispose of the garbage at this land recently, because the Municipal Council had not paid the necessary fees. The ministry of Megapolis and Western Development took the responsibility of Colombo Waste Management following the Meethotumulla tragedy. However, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that its responsibility was re-assigned to the Ministry of Provincial Councils and the relevant Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas. The management of the Waste Disposal Centre in Kerawalapitiya was vested under the purview of Land Reclamation and Development Corporation. Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council Rosy Senanayake said that this was due to the request made by the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation to settle the Rs. 207 million. "We clearly state that we do not have an outstanding amount to settle. Garbage wasn’t disposed on Friday and today. Since there is talk that there is an outstanding amount to settle, we decided to pay an advance. As the people are inconvenienced due to this, we have made arrangements to pay 100 Million rupees." Rosy Senanayake, Mayor - CMC The Chairman of SLLRDC Roshan Gunawardena stated that the Corporation will work through the night to remove the collected garbage. "As soon as we received the money, we started disposing of the garbage. We will work throughout the night and remove the garbage collected in these areas. We will be able to discuss and resolve the issue as this is between two state institutes. There is no issue in the documentation. So in the future, I hope we will be able to explain this to the mayor as we have all the required documents." he said.