Karadiyana: Another disaster in the making?

• Families evacuated from Karadiyana Garbage Dump vicinity fearing collapse
• Fifteen families evacuated from the vicinity on its Southern edge 

By Rekha Tharangani Fonseka 

Fifteen families had been evacuated from the vicinity of the Karadiyana Garbage Dump due to a threat of the dump collapsing on its Southern edge, Western Province Waste Management Authority Director Nalin Mannapperuma said. 

He said the decision was taken to remove the families from the identified risk zone following the recommendations made by the National Building Research Organization (NBRO). 
Mr Mannapperuma said the families were removed as an interim measure and that they were being given a monthly allowance to pay as rent for a new house. 

“For each family, an allowance of Rs.25,000 is being given for six months period to pay as rent for a new house. Immediate measures will be taken to evaluate the lands owned by these families and to pay compensation to their land and the house,” he said. 

He said thirteen main families and two small families had been removed from near the garbage dump and the Waste Management Authority would acquire land of six acres once the properties of the families were legally renounced. 

Mr Mannapperuma said the Waste Management Authority was constantly looking into the changes of the garbage dump to prevent any disasters. 

“Even during adverse weather conditions such as heavy rains, we inspect the changes of the garbage dump and fix the covering of the dump to avoid such threats,” he said.