Garbage crisis at Armour Street flats and CMC’s inaction

Despite a formal complaint lodged on July 10, 2025 with the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) — including its senior officers, the Commissioner, and the Mayoress—the mounting garbage within the precincts of Armour Street Flat remains uncleared as of today (July 24, 2025). This was followed up with WhatsApp/SMS messages and phone calls, yet no meaningful action has been taken.
The uncollected waste is dangerously close to key community institutions: an Ayurvedic clinic, a government school, a pre-school, a mosque, a private dispensary, and of course, the residential complex itself. It poses an escalating health hazard to residents, patients, schoolchildren, and daily commuters. Such negligence raises serious concerns about the CMC’s commitment to public hygiene and safety.
Is the Government’s “Clean Sri Lanka – Socially, Environmentally and Ethically” campaign merely a hollow slogan? The lack of response and urgency by the responsible authorities contradicts the very principles it promotes.
It’s time for those in power to act—promptly and decisively—to remove this health threat and prevent a potential outbreak of dengue and other communicable diseases.

Mohamed Zahran
Colombo