Anura Kumara speaks on the damage caused to the eco-system due to the decisions made by the government

COLOMBO (News1 st):- Presidential Candidate of the National People's Power Movement Anura Kumara Dissanayake attending a public meeting held in Puttlam recently made the following comments. Speaking on the irrigation of the country he said:

"How did we learn about the environment when we were young? We learned about it as a country without floods, droughts, and landslides. During the past several years, our country was battered by landslides. What did these rulers do to our environment? They destroyed the forests. They destroyed habitats of the elephants. These are the consequences we face now. These rulers transformed this country into a country prone to landslides. We didn't experience major floods back then. We also didn't experience droughts. I am also from Anuradhapura. Anuradhapura was identified as the ''Wew Badhi Rajyaya'' did we ever imagine that the people of Anuradhapura will have to purchase water. Today, starting from Nochchiyagama, there are plenty of shops that sell water. Why? Because our land was filled with poison. There mountains and mountains of garbage." He further continued to say, - "They created a country where people die from collapsing garbage mountains. In the recent past, clinical waste from the UK was imported. The leaders have destroyed the entire ecosystem of our country. In our view, the Arawakkalu sanitary landfill is another disaster, that adds to the garbage crisis. We have two solutions. Solution one is we will establish a peoples council, which will consist of experts in the field, and locals who face the garbage crisis on a daily basis. Anyone can submit their ideas, complaints, or any other information to this council. Afterward, based on this information we can take two decisions. Based on the information if we conclude that the sanitary landfill harms the environment, and cannot be continued, we will halt operations immediately. However, if the information reveals that the sanitary landfill does not cause any harm to the environment, we will continue its operations within a secure framework. If the sanitary landfill harms the public, or animals, or even a tree, we will halt operations with immediate effect."