The Government has sought Rs. 1.649 billion as compensation for the environmental damage caused by the waste container imports from the United Kingdom (UK), the Environment Ministry said.
The Environment Ministry said the compensation claim has been filed with the Basel Convention Secretariat on Tuesday (6). The waste containers were shipped to Sri Lanka in 2017-2018 violating the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
The Environment Ministry issuing statement said 263 waste containers were shipped to Sri Lanka from the UK. Among them 130 containers were stored at the Katunayake Free Trade Zone by a company while the other 133 were stored in the Colombo Harbour.
According to the Basel Convention, garbage can only be shipped from one country to another with the agreement of both the countries. Yet the imported waste containers were shipped by an individual of Sri Lankan descent living in the UK with the help of his brother in Sri Lanka.
21 waste containers from 133 containers that were placed at the Colombo Harbour were sent back to the UK on September 27 this year following investigations. The Environment Ministry said the remaining 122 will be sent back to the UK with the coordination of the Sri Lanka Customs after completion of investigations.
