Cardinal lashes out at govt over fresh move to dump Colombo garbage at Ja-ela

By Norman Palihawadana-January 25, 2017, 10:05 pm 

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday lashed out at the yahapalana government for reviving plans to dump Colombo garbage at Ja-ela.

The church leader said that the Army had been moved in and arrangements were being made to set up a mini camp there to discourage public protests. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said that those yahapalana leaders responsible for this situation should be ashamed of themselves. The Cardinal warned of large scale protests unless the government abandoned its plan to bring garbage misery to a sensitive and congested area.

Having promised good governance and accountability, the UNP-SLFP coalition was pursing projects severely inimical to the well being of the public.

The authorities, responsible for garbage disposal, should take action to dump garbage at a location uninhabited by people, Cardinal Ranjith said.

Dumping garbage in Ja-Ela would contaminate water bodies and pollute the entire area, the prelate said.

The Cardinal said that he had received complaints from people of Ja-Ela against the plan to shift the Garbage dump site from Meethotamulla to their area. There had been media reports announcing the plan, he said.