• Environmentalists, residents urge project halt; warn of potential serious consequences
• Protests driven by local politicians; project will not be halted, will resume next month: Sathyananda

Following the recommencement of the controversial and previously abandoned Aruwakkalu sanitary landfill in Puttalam last week, environmentalists have urged the Government to halt the project immediately, warning of potentially serious environmental consequences.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Sajeewa Chamikara of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) warned that the area where the Aruwakkalu sanitary landfill is situated was prone to frequent flooding, with no viable mechanisms in place to prevent such occurrences.

“The area has been inundated during almost every heavy rain in recent years, and during the most recent flood, it remained underwater for over five days. This poses a significant risk, as the receding water flows directly into the nearby lagoon and mangrove areas, posing a serious threat to the environment and the unique biodiversity of these ecosystems,” he stressed.

Chamikara further alleged that the project had recommenced under intense pressure from authorities, as substantial sums of money had already been invested. “No scientific research has been conducted on the environmental impact of this project,” he added.

Elaborating on the nature of the waste to be dumped at Aruwakkalu, Chamikara emphasised: “The majority of the waste will be urban garbage, which contains more chemicals and poses a serious threat to the nearby biodiversity. The project must be stopped immediately. This is a massive destruction of nature.”

Mired in controversy

Since its inception, the Aruwakkalu project has faced significant public criticism. Environmentalists allege that it would have detrimental effects on the surrounding biodiversity near the landfill. They have highlighted threats to groundwater, the ecosystem, fisheries, wildlife, and the rural communities of Serakkuliya, Karathivu, Gangewadiya, and Eluwankulama. 

Environmentalists have argued that the project would harm highly sensitive and vital biodiversity in the selected site, adjacent to the Wilpattu National Park, Kala Oya, Puttalam Lagoon, and Thabbowa Sanctuary.

Residents of Puttalam have held several demonstrations, urging the Government to abandon the project. They claim that the Government initiated this project without consultation or input from the local communities.

In an attempt to stop the project, the campaign ‘Clean Puttalam’ was started, uniting a broad civil society movement consisting of residents, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), youth groups, women’s associations, religious leaders, and political groups.

The Aruwakkalu sanitary landfill in Puttalam, was proposed as a long-term solution to the ongoing waste crisis in the Western Province. The landfill on abandoned limestone quarries previously operated by the cement company Holcim is designed to receive 1,200 tonnes of waste per day over the next 10 years. 

Although construction began in 2018 and was expected to be completed by March 2020, waste was already being transferred to the site by March 2019, as Colombo’s interim dump in Kerawalapitiya was overflowing, causing garbage to pile up in several neighbourhoods. 

However, the project quickly became highly controversial due to concerns over its environmental impact and the decision to move Colombo’s waste problem to a different region, despite strong objections from local communities. 

Failure to launch

Initially proposed in 2014, the project was estimated to cost $ 107 million and was originally scheduled to be funded by the World Bank. However, it failed to get off the ground.

Despite the controversy, the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), which had been blacklisted by the World Bank from 2009 to 2011 and by the Bangladeshi Government in 2018 for alleged bribery, won the bidding process. A significant portion of the financing eventually came from a loan provided by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

However, following the tragic collapse of the Meethotamulla garbage dump in 2017, which claimed 32 lives, the Government intensified efforts to launch the Aruwakkalu project.

More than seven years have passed since the Meethotamulla disaster in 2017, yet authorities have failed to manage the site as previously promised. The Sunday Morning learnt that although the dumping of new garbage was halted shortly after the disaster, the original plan by the then Megapolis Development Ministry to transform the site into an urban waste park was abandoned due to a lack of funding. 

The disaster at Meethotamulla occurred on 14 April 2017, when a catastrophic slope failure occurred at the municipal solid waste disposal site in Pothuwila Kumbura, Meethotamulla in Kolonnawa.

According to initial plans, the Meethotamulla dump was supposed to be converted into a waste collection centre, from which waste from the metropolitan area would be transported via railway to Aruwakkalu.

Resumption amid dissent

Nevertheless, the transport of solid waste generated in Colombo to Puttalam began last week, marking the first time waste was moved under the Metro Colombo Solid Waste Management Project. Approximately 1,200 MT of waste generated in Colombo’s metro areas and gathered at the Wanawasala Garbage Exchange Centre were transported via train to the Aruwakkalu landfill site in Puttalam.

Amid the recent transportation of garbage from Colombo to Puttalam, residents have resumed their protests. 

However, Urban Development and Housing Ministry Secretary W.S. Sathyananda claimed that these protests were being driven by local politicians and stated that the project would not be halted due to demonstrations. “We will recommence the project next month. We are now looking for an investor. Last week, we did a test run. The constructors have not yet officially handed it over to us,” he said.

The project was previously under the purview of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), but it has now been transferred to the ministry. 

UDA Chairman Nimesh Herath confirmed that the ministry was now responsible for the entire project and its associated payments.

Last year, the project’s contractor CHEC temporarily suspended work due to payment delays. However, Sathyananda confirmed that all related payments were subsequently made to the contractors.

“Construction payments have been made. Several other payments, such as late payment fees, are still pending. They have submitted 90 such claims, and through negotiations, we reduced this number to 30. These 30 payments are still pending. We will present them to the Cabinet and take steps to settle them,” he explained.

– By Maheesha Mudugamuwa