The government was planning to import urban waste from China through its crooked businessmen on the pretext of importing carbonic fertilizer, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna charged yesterday.
JVP MP Vijitha Herath told a news conference that this move would cause even more serious environmental hazards than the chemical fertilizer.
"China is exporting this urban waste to many countries as carbonic fertilizer by spraying urea. The government is also planning to import this urban waste from China, hiding behind moves to provide carbonic fertilizer. We cannot approve of this move to import urban waste that is hazardous to our soil and environment," he said.
The MP said they were not against the moves to introduce carbonic fertilizer and added that chemical fertilizer should have been banned after introducing a proper mechanism for the farmers to obtain carbonic fertilizer.
"We have no such mechanism. The tea industry is in dire crisis today. Vegetable farmers who exported their crop to Singapore have faced a risk of losing their market. The government has not done any study through any recognized institute on carbonic fertilizer," he said.
He said the government had formed a 46-member Task Force on carbonic fertilizer which included crooked businessmen partial to the government adding that moves are afoot to create a new mafia for them through the import of carbonic fertilizer.
Mr. Herath urged the government to take steps to produce carbonic fertilizer in the country without endangering the farmers. (Daily Mirror)