SLA bars UC from using HSZ dumping ground

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 November 2004, 01:50 GMT]
Chavakachcheri Urban Council (UC) in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district has been facing difficulties in disposing the garbage collected within the town limit following the refusal by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to allow UC workers to take lorries with garbage to the dumping ground in Kannadipitti area, which is located in the high security zone (HSZ). Hence UC workers daily remove all garbage to areas in close proximity to HSZ and burn, local authority sources said.

The Sri Lanka Army brought coastal areas in Thenmaradchchi division including the dumping ground of the Chavakachcheri UC under its control and declared those as high security zones following the military operation in the year 2000, sources said.

Since then the UC authorities used a private land in the town limit as the dumping ground. When the owner of the land refused permission to dump garbage anymore in his land the UC authorities and Thenmaradchchi Divisional Secretary sought permission from the SLA to use its dumping ground, which is located in the HSZ. SLA gave permission to take garbage by lorry through the checkpoint located at the entrance of the Thanankilappu road to Kannadipitti area where the dumping ground is located, sources said.

The SLA soldiers located in the area has now told the UC authorities that they will not allow lorries with garbage to the dumping ground in the HSZ anymore for security reasons. Hence the UC authorities now collect all garbage to a place within the town limit and burn them daily, UC sources said.