• Over 5,000 police personnel, along with Army and STF deployed

By Shane Seneviratne- Kandy   

Kandy Esala Perahera festival will commence tonight with the first Kumbal Procession parading the streets. The procession is scheduled to set off from Sri Dalada Maligawa at the auspicious hour of 6.06 pm. It will follow the arrival of processions of four Devalas.   

It will proceed through Dalada Veediya, Deva Veediya, Colombo Street, Yatinuwara Street, and return to Sri Dalada Maligawa through Raja Veediya.   

Police and the health authorities said steps have been taken to provide adequate facilities to the tens of thousands of visitors to Kandy during the festival.   

A senior police official in Kandy said a police contingent of more than 5,000 personnel in addition to the Army and the STF (Special Task Force) would be deployed to provide protection.   

Municipal Commissioner Indika Kumari Abeysinghe said arrangements have been made to provide adequate sanitary facilities to the large crowd that would flock to the Kandy city to watch the procession.   

However, she requested the public to refrain from haphazard disposal of garbage that would burden the Municipal Council with clearing them after the festival. She said legal action would be taken against the businessmen who provided seating accommodation on the pavements in front of their business accommodation to the spectators of the procession.   

Meanwhile, Municipal MOH Dr. Pahan Jayaweera said he called a meeting of all hotel and restaurant owners in Kandy and created awareness on food safety. He said they were advised to focus attention on sanitary regulations applicable to the supply of food. The MOH said all catering services in Kandy City would be subject to constant checks by the PHIs.   

•  Public requested to refrain from haphazard disposal of garbage that would burden the Municipal Council with clearing them after the festival