The Municipal Commissioner of Colombo V.K.A. Anura has been removed from the position by the Governor of the Western Province K.C Logeswaran.
The report of the Presidential Commission appointed to investigate into the collapse of the Meethotamulla garbage dump handed over its report to the President on February 6.
Speaking to Ada Derana, the Governor said that after the report was submitted the President’s Secretary instructed him to carry out an inquiry.
In order to carry out the inquiry, Mr V.K.A. Anura has been removed from the position of Municipal Commissioner of Colombo.
The Sri Lanka Administration Service (SLAS) official has been serving as Colombo’s Municipal Commissioner and the Officer Implementing the Powers and Function of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) since his appointment in January 2015.
On April 14, 2017, a section of the Meethotamulla garbage dump collapsed on residents, killing more than 30.
President appointed a one–man Presidential Committee last year to investigate the causes that led to the Meethotamulla tragedy. The President appointed retired Appeals Court Judge Chandradasa Nanayakkara for this Committee.
The committee handed over its report to President Maithripala Sirisena on February 6.
The short-term and long- term recommendations regarding the disposal of Meethotamulla waste were included in the Committee report and it has pointed out the importance of establishing a central institution to manage the process of disposing of waste in the Western Province.
The report has highlighted the importance of establishing garbage incinerators and the President has said that he will give instructions in the future to the relevant Ministries and Institutions to implement the recommendations and proposals of the Committee report.
The Committee report revealed that there was an unusual increase of the expenses paid for the external organizations for the waste disposal process of the Kolonnawaa and Meethotamulla areas during the period of 2015 -2016.
The expenses show a gradual increase of allocations by the Colombo Municipal Council and according to the statistics in 2014 the Colombo Municipal Council had paid 64 million rupees and 182 million rupees and 232 million rupees respectively in 2015 and 2016.
The report further revealed that the causes for the tragedy include the fact that Colombo Municipal Council from its initial stages failed to follow a proper method for the purpose of waste disposal as well as not properly implementing the proposals suggested in this regard.
