The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has issued a conditional order on the case filed by the Center for Environmental Justice (CEJ) against the dumping of hazardous waste from the TJ Lanka (PLC) factory at Seethawaka Industrial Estate in Avissawella, into the sea near the Madampitiya pumping station.
The CEJ said the Court accepted that the gully bowser containing the chemical waste was dangerous to human life and issued an order from the High Court for the gully bowsers to be kept in police custody until it is released.
About 10 to 12 gully bowsers carrying hazardous waste were to be smuggled into the sea near the Madampitiya pumping station on Saturday, July 11, 2020. Five of these gully bowsers have already been dumped into the sea. During the investigation, officers of the Authority (MEPA) , the Special Task Force (STF), the Police, and the Environmental Police detained the remaining five gully bowsers and kept them in Police custody.
The Colombo Municipal Council had informed the relevant authorities that only sewage effluent is allowed to be discharged from the Madampitiya pumping station and no oil, grease, acid or any other such effluent is allowed to be discharged into the sea from that site. Accordingly, this waste has been disposed of and is going to be disposed of without any license, the CEJ said.
The Center for Environmental Justice filed a case under Case No. 37475/4/20 in the Colombo Magistrate’s Court on 23 July under sections 98 (1) (a) and (e) of the Criminal Procedure Code in a manner harmful to the health of the public. It said that this hazardous waste was dumped into the sea without any recommendations and there was a public outcry as the rest was to be dumped. (Newswire)