Tough action against those who pollute roads, drains, canals

• Mayoress instructs to clean recreational parks, jogging tracks at least twice a day   
• “Urges officials to inform in writing of problematic situations and areas that need to be developed without delay”
•  We should be committed to keep the city clean throughout the 24 hours

By Lahiru Pothmulla   

Colombo Mayoress Rosy Senanayake has instructed relevant authorities to enforce the law strictly on those who dispose garbage on roads, canals and drains in the municipality, CMC sources said.   

She has made these remarks at the third round of meeting which was held at the Colombo Municipal Council Hall to review the progress of maintaining cleanliness in the city in line with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s city clean-up campaign.   

Mayoress Senanayake said hefty fines should be imposed on the personnel who dispose garbage haphazardly.   
“I also urge the officials to install warning signs where people dump garbage. Let us all contribute to the efforts of the President to keep the country clean, without causing any nuisance to the public,” she said.   

She said at the third round of meeting, which was also the first meeting in 2020, she believed that the Environmental Police, Colombo Municipal Council, Urban Development Authority, Road Development Authority, Ports Authority, Housing Authority, Sri Lanka Transport Board, Railways Department, the Ceylon Electricity Board together with all other institutions will contribute to make Colombo an exemplary city.   

I’m glad that we have achieved a commendable progress by the third review meeting. If we all carry out our responsibilities properly, we will soon overcome all the shortcomings

Mayoress Senanayake said many people including ministers, foreigners and the general public are engaged in fitness programmes and exercise in the morning and evening at various places in Colombo city.   

“A large number of people also come to the parks during the weekends. As a result, there is a tendency of the city being more polluted. Nevertheless, seeing garbage disposed everywhere is not a pleasant view and makes those who visit parks uncomfortable. Therefore, the institutions which clean these places should do so at least twice a day,” she said.   
She said the citizens think that the CMC was responsible for all the cleaning work in Colombo and the Mayoress was the one whose getting blamed the most.   

“Therefore, the officers attending the review committee meetings at the CMC should study the matter thoroughly and have an understanding about their responsibilities. Many officers come to these meetings abandoning many other duties. Therefore, no one should come up with excuses and say that no action has been taken. We should be committed to keep the city clean throughout the 24 hours. Therefore, it is compulsory to have responsible persons from the respective institutions present at these meetings. I also urge the officials to inform me in writing of the problematic situations and the areas that need to be developed without delay,” Mayoress Senanayake said.   

She said there were many shortcomings with regard to the cleanliness of the city which were discussed at the first review meeting and added many of those issues have been rectified.   
“I’m glad that we have achieved a commendable progress by the third review meeting. If we all carry out our responsibilities properly, we will soon overcome all the shortcomings,” she said.   

Environmental Protection Unit DIG R.M. Nimal Perera, ASP (Director Environment & Sports) Kamal Pushpakumara and Chief Inspector (Conservation Environment Direction) Upali Munasinghe attended the meeting representing the police.   

Deputy Mayor M.T.M. Iqbal, Municipal Commissioner Roshini Dissanayake, Deputy Commissioner (Engineering Services) M.A.C.M. Fazal, Solid Waste Director Engineer Y. Sylvester, Water Supply and Drainage Division Director M.I.M. Saleem were also present.