• Urges public to contact Emergency hotline 1981 to provide information on more debris reaching different shorelines

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

The Central Environment Authority (CEA) yesterday warned the public not to touch, collect or bring any kind of debris washed ashore from the engulfed MV X-press Pearl ship, saying that they could be highly hazardous to health. 

Chairman CEA S. Amarasinghe said that they were taking all possible measures to curb whatever the impact that would result from the burning ship on the environment and asked for public cooperation in doing so.   He said the debris that washes ashore could be extremely hazardous for the human health and requested the residents in the area not to touch, collect or bring any items to the mainland.   

Whilst saying that the CEA was working hand in hand with the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) to control the situation, the Chairman requested to provide information related to debris reaching different shorelines on the emergency hotline of 1981.