The heart of Nuwara Eliya city has been left as a dumping ground following the conclusion of the April Avurudu season, with the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council yet to clear the accumulated garbage.
The Municipal Council ran a series of events through the April season, which formally ended on May 4. Temporary stall areas and surrounding public spaces that drew large crowds for the festivities have since become clogged with food waste and discarded items.
Residents and visitors say food waste accumulated over the past month has produced an unbearable stench in the hill capital, and that the Council has taken no timely action to clear it.
Officials from the Council’s Waste Management Department told The Island that administrative officers in charge of operations had not yet issued instructions to remove the waste collected at the site.
Municipal Commissioner Wijekoon Bandara was unreachable for comment when contacted by phone.
Nuwara Eliya is a high-profile destination for the April-season tourism cycle, and post-festival cleanup is normally a Council priority given the steady visitor flow that continues into the May tea-country shoulder season.
By S.K. Samaranayake.
Source: The Island.
