ONE DEAD, 20 INJURED IN WELIWERIYA CLASH

One dead in Weliweriya clash

Update 8.45 pm

     One person died in the clash that took place this evening in the conflicting situation, having received gun-shot injuries. The deceased is a person close upon 30 years. On an inquiry made from Gampaha hospital, a spokesman of the hospital said that another 20 persons or so had received injuries and are undergoing treatment.

     It was mentioned that because there were no security guards available at the hospital grounds, a confused situation had arisen there. The police media spokesman said that he came to know that water and tear gas had been used but that he received no reports  till 8 in the night that rubber bullets were used.

    The aforementioned death was reported in the process of a clash that took place when the security forces tried to disperse the protestors who obstructed the Colombo - Kandy road in Belummahara area by residents of Rathupaswala.

    The security forces had used tear gas and water to disperse the crowd who protested seeking a solution to the water problem which they  and a number of villagers had faced as a result of the polluted waste material flowing from a certain factory.

    As such, a heavy traffic congestion was created for a number of hours because of the protest launched at Belummahara junction ending in a restless situation along the Colombo - Kandy road.

    The army media spokesman said that the Sri Lanka Army was called into support the police in the effort to disperse the protestors considering the situation that had emerged.

    At a discussion, the Secretary of the Ministry of Forces and Urban Development had with representatives of the area regarding the situation that had arisen, it was reported by the Ministry that a decision was arrived at to close the factory temporarily.

    The Ministry of Security Forces told that an inquiry would be conducted in order to confirm whether the primary reason for the water in the area became polluted because of the relevant factory, and for that purpose a unified investigation would be conducted with the Water Supply Board, universities and those responsible and to obtain the investigation report within a period of 2 weeks, hoping to take necessary steps thereafter.

    The Ministry explains that arrangements would be taken to implement a new water supply scheme providing drinking water instead of the polluted water and to finish installing it within the next 6 weeks.

    Until such time,the announcement issued by the Ministry says that preparations would be made to provide drinking water as a temporary measure to the people who have undergone this inconvenience.