Category:Interventions, Waste
The garbage dump at Thiruperunthurai belongs to the Municipal Council (MC) of Batticaloa, situated within the district of Batticaloa. Since the 1970’s, the MC of Batticaloa has been utilising this area as a dumping ground, and according to the residents, without a valid permit. Garbage generated from households and industries, continued to be dumped in an improper manner, without proper segregation nor gravel/earth covering. Thus, this created unsuitable and unhealthy living conditions. In addition, this practice has created several negative impacts on the surrounding environment, including the lagoon ecosystem, which is only about 400 m away. Home to 447 families and houses, seven temples, two churches, a school, a vocational training centre & a boys’ home; the community of Thiruperunthurai has been enduring this menace for a long period of time.
EFL was informed by the members of the community, that the dumping site is located on a privately owned land and despite the willingness of the majority of the government authorities to utilise an existing landfill site in Koduwamadu (approx. 17 km distance between sites), the Commissioner of the Municipal Council of Batticaloa, continues to reject this option.
Upon receiving notification of the above issue in August 2017, EFL conducted a site visit on the 28th of September 2017, to the Thiruperunthurai garbage dump, the Koduwamadu landfill and Paalameenmadu (proposed alternate dumping site) and met with the community of the area, to review the status at ground. At this meeting, the EFL team was further informed of a petition filed by the community against the MC of Batticaloa regarding this matter, which was to be taken up in the High Court of Batticaloa on the 4th of October 2017.
Considering the above status, EFL agreed to prepare a site visit report to assist the legal case filed, and shared willingness to provide our expertise in relation to the rehabilitation of the dump site.
