http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20111114_01

Colombo- face-lift or face-off
(By: M. Niyaz)
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Scattered garbage- a prominent sight, before the MOD took over waste management in Colombo.
Garbage is one of Sri Lanka's most pressing problems. It is everywhere: surrounding our homes, schools and hospitals, lining our roads, and blocking our drains, waterways and beaches etc. Garbage is quite literally choking us when it is not being disposed of properly, collected effectively, or managed adequately. Nobody enjoys living in a rubbish dump. This is indeed a problem that has spread far and wide and is affecting people from all walks of life.
Rotting rubbish, wherever it is, unsightly and foul-smelling, and makes it extremely unpleasant to live or work nearby. Mosquitoes, flies, crows are in abundance while the Municipal Council health propagandists blare out form loud speakers about the need to keep your home premises clean to eradicate dengue!
Solid waste management in Sri Lanka is the responsibility of local government authorities (LAs). While most local authorities carry out these services on their own, some LAs (Colombo and Kandy Municipal Councils for example) have outsourced waste management to private sector firms.
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Present situation - Malalasekara Mawatha( 12th Nov, 2011) at 3PM.
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) comprises six electorates and the population in those areas is higher than any other electorate in the country. The CMC spends millions of rupees a day on garbage collection. On 1st December 2010 The Island quoted Chief City Administrator Omar Kamil as saying "To collect the garbage in six electorates the CMC has to spend six times that. Along with the costs for dumping the total cost to collect garbage comes up to Rs.2.1 million."
The CMC also had to spend a huge sum of money on vehicles used to transport garbage and on the salaries of the large CMC staff that usually do a few trips per day to the same place to collect garbage, The Island further quoted him said. "The CMC staff collects garbage on a house to house basis. They also collect garbage on Galle road and in Dematagoda twice and thrice per day respectively," Kamil said.
Over the past couple of years, people have seen the well determined hand of the Ministry of Defence in the ongoing operation in the city of Colombo giving it a facelift; spearhead by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the absence of an elected administration. It might be inappropriate to have legal drafting under defence, but it is well worth letting that ministry to do whatever it takes to make Colombo beautiful and clean.
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'Clean roadsides'- garbage free neighbourhood seen when under the Ministry of Defence.
However, most recently the ministry has to withdraw its involvement from the waste management operations in the city, following the new administration had been voted onto the CMC. Ever since the Ministry's involvement in the waste management operations ceased; hopes of making the city of Colombo one of the exotic and greener cities in Asia seem to be fading into its former status as the negligence and face-off between newly appointed CMC authorities.
There is much inefficiency in the present system; garbage collection by the CMC and private cleaning services is not being properly functioned as earlier. Also, there are many places including Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Malalasekara Mawatha and Sarana Road where they have neglected removing garbage.
This situation has arisen just one month after the CMC had taken over by the new administration. Although, the new administration of CMC is spending millions alike for the purpose, there should be proper management or system with regard to the waste management within the city. If not, this situation may further deteriorate and it is hardly one can think of becoming the Colombo one of the exotic and Greener cities in the Asia.