Five residents of Palamunai have filed a public nuisance case at the Akkaraipattu Magistrate’s Court against the Palamunai Divisional Hospital being used to treat Covid patients.
The petitioners have charged that their groundwater is being contaminated because of the coronavirus patients being treated at the hospital.
They have requested the court to suspend the admission and treatment of Covid patients in the Palamunai Divisional Hospital until a proper mechanism is agreed to save the groundwater.
The petitioners further claimed that their groundwater is contaminated by waste water from the hospital that carries body secretions and excretions including stools of the Covid patients.
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka had recently dismissed a Fundamental Right application against forced cremation without citing any reasons, while Affidavits of 10 experts in support of possible water contamination due to the burial of coronavirus victims, were filed as limited objections by the Attorney General’s Department in the FR case, they said.
Stating that the Government is forcefully cremating the bodies of Covid victims citing groundwater contamination as a reason, the residents questioned if viruses in the dead bodies could contaminate the groundwater, wouldn’t the waste of the living patients result in the same.
“Either the government should remove the isolation centre based on expert opinions as the wastewater contaminates the groundwater or permit the burial of corona victims” the residents added.
During the hearing of the case, it was suggested to call the 10 experts who gave affidavits in the FR case as witnesses for this case, while they will be issued notice to appear before the Akkaraipattu Magistrate’s Court to testify.
The Akkaraipattu Magistrate’s Court re-fixed the case for 04th January, 2021.
Radheef Ahamed, Attorney at Law from Voices Movement, a civil society organization, Senior Attorney Baheej Meera Mohideen, and Washeem Ahamed Attorney at Law represented the petitioners from Akkaraipattu. (NewsWire)