Garbage dump sparks protest in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 August 2004, 13:12 GMT]
Hundreds of people Saturday from four villages affected by a dump for disposing garbage from Vavuniya protested against the disposal of waste to near Rasenthirakulam eight kilometres west of the large northern border town. Protestors blocked tractors carrying garbage to the dump. Residents of these farming villages complain that the garbage dump used by the Vavuniya Urban Council (UC) has become a major health hazard in the area and its foul smell is unbearable. Protestors also blocked vehicle of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) that was carrying waste to dispose at the dump.




The other villages affected by the dump are Soodu Ventha Pulavu, Barathipuram, and Vinayagapuram.

“We are dumping waste on land provided to us for the purpose by the Vavuniya Divisional Secretary. We burn the garbage regularly”, Mr. V. S. S Selvarajah, secretary to the Vavuniya UC, told TamilNet Saturday.

Villages say that burning the waste makes no difference. Garbage is not incinerated in Sri Lanka.

Vavuniya DS gave the land near Rasenthirakulam two years ago for disposing waste from the northern border town.

Head of LTTE’s political wing in Vavuniya, spoke to the protestors.

The protest was called off after the Vavuniya DS asked the villagers to give the authorities ten days to shift the dump.

“We will block all garbage dumping in Rasenthirakulam after the deadline”, a spokesman for the protesting villagers said.