Court issues interim order on transporting garbage containers

The Court of Appeal today (31) issued an interim order preventing the containers allegedly containing imported garbage, which are currently placed at the Colombo Port and Katunayake Free Trade Zone, from being transported towards the interior of the country.

The interim order was issued when the petition filed by Centre for Environmental Justice was taken up today before Appeals Court judge bench consisting of Justices Yasantha Kodagoda and Arjuna Obeysekara.

The petition was filed to seek the Appeals Court to deliver an order preventing the import of garbage to Sri Lanka.

Delivering the interim order, Appeals Court Chairman Justice Kodagoda stated that the permission of the court must be obtained before re-exporting these garbage containers.

The judge bench further said that the hearing of the petition will be allowed as the presented submissions have proved that the garbage shipment can create a harmful environment for the general public.

Accordingly, the judge bench fixed the petition for support on the 20th of September and ordered to issue notices to the respondents of the petition.

The petitioner says information has revealed that hundreds of containers containing waste materials imported from a foreign country are currently stockpiled at the Colombo Port and Katunayake Free Trade Zone.

The petitioner has pointed out that importing garbage to Sri Lanka is a massive detriment to the ecosystem of the country and transporting them into the interior areas of the country can result in harmful effects.

The attorneys representing the Centre for Environmental Justice hence sought the Appeals Court to issue an interim order preventing the transportation of the garbage containers further into the country.

Attorney-at-law who appeared on behalf of the Customs did not raise objections to the request of the interim order.