Colombo (LNW): Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainable Development, MP Ajith Mannapperuma stressed the imperative to annually assess the damage inflicted on the marine environment following the X-Press Pearl ship tragedy.
He advocates for the establishment of an expert research committee within the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) to systematically evaluate the environmental impact.
Regrettably, for the year 2023, no expert team has been appointed to calculate the damage to the marine environment.
Consequently, there is an absence of a report to facilitate discussions on compensation agreements.
In response to this situation, the Director General of MEPA has conveyed that a second interim request has been submitted to the Justice Ministry and the Attorney General’s Department.
Despite seeking guidance on how to proceed with the expert committee’s work and its future requirements, MEPA has not received a comprehensive response.
However, the Justice Ministry has reportedly informed MEPA that the necessary cabinet approval for appointing an international, independent expert committee to continue assessing the destruction is in progress.
As of now, there is no appointment for the academic committee in 2023, and the Attorney General’s Department has not provided a satisfactory response to MEPA’s inquiries.
The MEPA Director General emphasised that all case reports are handled by the Attorney General’s Department, with MEPA offering necessary support as required.
