Attempts to gag the media that exposed the toxic waste water pollution of environment by Jiffy factory flop
(Lanka-e-News- 26.March.2014, 11.30PM) The second attempt made by the Norway Jiffy factory that is a source of grave danger to human lives at Kobaiygane village and which is releasing dangerous contaminated chemical wastes to the environment, to gag the media that is exposing the factory’s deadly poisonous activities had flopped once again.
On the first occasion when, a court injunction was sought against the media that exposed this dangerous waste water disposal of the Jiffy factory to the Deduru Oya , the High court judge Pradeep Hettiarachi who heard the case decided that the media has a right to reveal and report in the best interests and welfare of the people , and while saying that he rejected the injunction order petition.
Subsequently , the officials of the Jiffy factory filed a case in the appeal court against this court order. The judges , H.C. Madawala and Lyon Seneviratne who heard the appeal day before yesterday upheld the decision delivered by judge Hettiarachi of the High court while rejecting the appeal of the Jiffy factory.
The Jiffy factory officials earlier filed action specially against the Randiva newspaper , and until the appeal was heard , the injunction order sought by the Jiffy factory to refrain the media from reporting the factory’s deadly and dangerous activities directed against the people was also rejected by the appeal court at the previous sessions.
The lawyers who appeared on behalf of the Randiva newspaper pointed out supported by evidence that the Jiffy factory is releasing its chemical waste water into the Deduru Oya without obtaining the permission from the environmental authority which is the duly appointed authority for Wayambe environment issues. They also proved that Jiffy is the only factory that is using the chemical calcium nitrate in the production of fiber and this method is now obsolete in the world . By this waste water which is not purified being directed to the Deduru Oya , not only the people who are now living , but even those babies to be born in Sri Lanka are imperiled due to the risk of birth of diseased ‘blue babies’ . The lawyer explained at length substantiating his arguments with evidence to enlighten the court on the grave risks and alarming perils in this factory waste disposal recklessly done uncaring for human lives and the environment.
In the report dated September 2 nd 2013 signed by Assist .Director , Central environmental authority , Colombo, D M K Dissanayake , it is revealed that this factory does not have the environment protection license . By this huge quantity of contaminated waste water being released to the surroundings without any methodology to purify it , the source of water supply is seriously endangered, it added..
It was recommended that a standard be adopted in the disposal of these wastes , but at present without considering these recommendations, the waste water being released to the Deduru oya confirms that the charges mounted against the factory are true, the report further noted.
Despite there being such an express and explicit report , it is to be regretted that the Wayambe provincial council chief (thief) Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera and Wayambe central environmental authority are dead silent over this allowing the factory owners to carry on regardless of environmental pollution and dangers it poses to human lives after secretly accepting bribes from the factory owners , it is learnt , when they should in fact spearhead this people's campaign in the larger interests of the country.
(Lanka-e-News- 26.March.2014, 11.30PM) The second attempt made by the Norway Jiffy factory that is a source of grave danger to human lives at Kobaiygane village and which is releasing dangerous contaminated chemical wastes to the environment, to gag the media that is exposing the factory’s deadly poisonous activities had flopped once again.On the first occasion when, a court injunction was sought against the media that exposed this dangerous waste water disposal of the Jiffy factory to the Deduru Oya , the High court judge Pradeep Hettiarachi who heard the case decided that the media has a right to reveal and report in the best interests and welfare of the people , and while saying that he rejected the injunction order petition.
Subsequently , the officials of the Jiffy factory filed a case in the appeal court against this court order. The judges , H.C. Madawala and Lyon Seneviratne who heard the appeal day before yesterday upheld the decision delivered by judge Hettiarachi of the High court while rejecting the appeal of the Jiffy factory.
The Jiffy factory officials earlier filed action specially against the Randiva newspaper , and until the appeal was heard , the injunction order sought by the Jiffy factory to refrain the media from reporting the factory’s deadly and dangerous activities directed against the people was also rejected by the appeal court at the previous sessions.
The lawyers who appeared on behalf of the Randiva newspaper pointed out supported by evidence that the Jiffy factory is releasing its chemical waste water into the Deduru Oya without obtaining the permission from the environmental authority which is the duly appointed authority for Wayambe environment issues. They also proved that Jiffy is the only factory that is using the chemical calcium nitrate in the production of fiber and this method is now obsolete in the world . By this waste water which is not purified being directed to the Deduru Oya , not only the people who are now living , but even those babies to be born in Sri Lanka are imperiled due to the risk of birth of diseased ‘blue babies’ . The lawyer explained at length substantiating his arguments with evidence to enlighten the court on the grave risks and alarming perils in this factory waste disposal recklessly done uncaring for human lives and the environment.
In the report dated September 2 nd 2013 signed by Assist .Director , Central environmental authority , Colombo, D M K Dissanayake , it is revealed that this factory does not have the environment protection license . By this huge quantity of contaminated waste water being released to the surroundings without any methodology to purify it , the source of water supply is seriously endangered, it added..
It was recommended that a standard be adopted in the disposal of these wastes , but at present without considering these recommendations, the waste water being released to the Deduru oya confirms that the charges mounted against the factory are true, the report further noted.
Despite there being such an express and explicit report , it is to be regretted that the Wayambe provincial council chief (thief) Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera and Wayambe central environmental authority are dead silent over this allowing the factory owners to carry on regardless of environmental pollution and dangers it poses to human lives after secretly accepting bribes from the factory owners , it is learnt , when they should in fact spearhead this people's campaign in the larger interests of the country.
