Unlawful garbage dumping: Supreme Court rules authorities violated Meethotamulla residents’ rights

Colombo, March 31 (Daily Mirror) - The Supreme Court today declared that several key state authorities, including the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), the Kolonnawa Urban Council and the Urban Development Authority, had violated the Fundamental Rights of residents in the Meethotamulla area through unlawful conduct and improper garbage disposal practices.

The court found that the unlawful dumping of waste in the vicinity of Pothuvil Kumbura in Meethotamulla over an extended period from 2009 to 2017 had infringed upon the Constitutional rights of the affected residents.

This judgment was delivered in relation to two Fundamental Rights petitions filed by residents of Meethotamulla, including Attorney-at-Law Nuwan Bopage. 

The petitions challenged the continued maintenance and expansion of the garbage dump at Meethotamulla, which had long been a source of environmental and public health concerns.

The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Justice Yasantha Kodagoda and Justice Priyantha Fernando, held that multiple authorities including the Western Province Waste Management Authority and the Central Environmental Authority had violated the petitioners’ Fundamental Rights guaranteed under Article 12(1) of the Constitution, which ensures equality before the law.

However, the court refrained from ordering further compensation to the affected parties, noting that the respondents had already paid a total of Rs. 908 million to victims impacted by the Meethotamulla garbage dump.

Saliya Pieris, PC with Waruna de Seram, Nuwan Bopage, R.D.D. Silva, Anjana Rathnasiri, Nuwan Beligahawatte, Susil Wanigapura Sarinda Jayawardane and Delan de Silva, instructed by Nalin Samarakoon, appeared for several petitioners, while Eraj De Silva, PC with Lahiru Welgama, Manjuka Fernandopulle, Daminda Wijayaratne and Janagan Sundaramoorthy appeared for several other petitioners.