• Alternative disposal arrangements in place to avoid collection disruptions: CMC
• Opposition raises concerns over vehicle shortage, recurring technical faults

The Colombo waste-to-energy plant will be shut down for 45 days for scheduled maintenance, with the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) assuring residents that alternative arrangements have been made to ensure waste collection continues without major disruption.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Colombo Deputy Mayor Hemantha Weerakoon said: “We have been notified that the waste-to-energy plant will be shut down for repairs from 15 July. It will remain closed for 45 days.”

Weerakoon explained that the plant was designed to generate around 10 MW of electricity while processing approximately 600 tonnes of waste from the CMC each day. However, the council currently supplies only around 450 tonnes daily.

He acknowledged that the temporary shutdown would create logistical challenges but that the CMC had identified an alternative disposal site in Kerawalapitiya owned by the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation, where only organic and food waste would be disposed of.

However, Weerakoon said that the site was already under pressure following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah: “Due to Ditwah, the waste pile has grown considerably, reducing the available space at the site. That has become a challenge.”

He added that discussions were under way with the relevant authorities to increase the site’s capacity.

Despite the shutdown, he maintained that waste collection across Colombo would continue with minimal disruption. “For these 45 days, we will dispose of the waste at the Kerawalapitiya site. There should not be any major disruption to waste collection. We are managing the situation.”

Weerakoon added that the plant underwent an annual maintenance shutdown of around 45 days, although ageing machinery had resulted in additional operational interruptions this year. “Apart from the scheduled maintenance period, there have been several occasions since January when the plant has had to stop operations completely,” he said.

Meanwhile, CMC Opposition Leader Riza Zarook of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) said that the recent operational disruptions had been caused by both scheduled maintenance and recurring technical faults. Zarook also highlighted a shortage of garbage collection vehicles, noting that several compactor trucks were undergoing repairs at present.

“What we propose is that, instead of offering excuses, the Mayor and the administration should immediately hire or lease vehicles temporarily to ensure garbage is collected on schedule,” he said.

Zarook added that he had been informed that the Government was preparing to allocate a temporary disposal site capable of accommodating up to 500 tonnes of waste while the plant remained out of operation.

“That should address the immediate disposal issue, but the shortage of collection vehicles remains a concern,” he said.

Zarook further stated that the current administration had sought approval from the Ministry of Finance to purchase four new compactor trucks and stressed that prompt action was needed to ensure uninterrupted waste collection across Colombo.