News
X-Press Pearl disaster: SL still awaiting response to its initial compensation claim
By Ifham Nizam
There has been no response so far from the Singapore flagged ship, X-Press Pearl owner and insurance brokers to Sri Lanka’s initial claim for compensation, an official said.
They have still not gone beyond saying the “damages caused will be assessed”, he said.
“We have asked the Singaporean government to exert pressure on the ship’s owner to expedite the process of removing the wreck of the gutted feeder vessel”, he further said.
Meanwhile, the committee studying the five sectors badly affected by the disaster has indicated that an initial assessment showed this was the biggest catastrophe to the country’s marine species and biodiversity.
Four experts from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) arrived in Colombo last week to share their inputs on the damage assessment and recovery process.
X-Press Feeders said in a recent statement that due to the exposed nature of the anchorage to the prevailing south westerly monsoon, it is likely that the wreck removal can only start after the adverse sea conditions subside. Caretaker services will remain on site until then.
The Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) believes that the ship’s wreck would be cleared within three months.
State Minister, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, quoting experts assessing the damage, said Sri Lanka has to grapple with the worst plastic nurdles (small plastic pellets serving as a raw material in the manufacture of plastic products) disaster in its history.
Earlier, he held a discussions with foreign experts now in the country to help local teams assess the damages.
The nurdles are about the size of a lentil, and like anything tiny and round, they are hard to keep track of as they roll away and tumble into waterways. The wind can also blow them around, scientists pointed out.
“Sri Lanka is facing a serious issue because of the nurdles stored in 87 containers on board the X-Press Pearl”, they said.
According to the experts, a major part of the nurdles may have been destroyed by the fire, with around 40 per cent getting into the ocean to be washed ashore.
NPP Parliamentarian Asoka Ranwala who was appointed the 22nd Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament, on 21st November has resigned from his position today [13], in the wake of the controversy surrounding his educational qualifications.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has officially appointed members to the Port City Economic Commission.
Accordingly Harsha Amarasekera, President’s Counsel, has been appointed as the Chairman while Damien Amal Cabraal, Mohan Ray Abeywardena, Sanjaya Kulatunga, and Dr. Harsha Subasinghe were appointed as members of the Port City Economic Commission
The official letters of appointment were handed over to the members by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (13).
“We will not allow the trust the people have placed in us to be undermined in any way,” stated President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during a meeting with the heads of state media today (13).
He further emphasised, “Regardless of their status in government, if mistakes are made, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.”
The President further explained:
“For more than seven decades, the people of this nation have built and dismantled various governments. For the first time, we stand with a profound understanding of the historic mandate entrusted to us and the National People’s Power on two occasions.
The people placed their faith in the National People’s Power (NPP) government, hoping for a standardised and stable country. We will not tarnish that extraordinary trust, even by the slightest misconduct.
Simply put, our government is not here to shield anyone who errs, for any reason. Be it within the broader framework of the country or within our administration, anyone found guilty of wrongdoing will face consequences. We will not hesitate to act decisively and at the right time. In essence, our government will not shield anyone who makes a mistake, regardless of the reason. Whether the mistake occurs within the country or at any level within our government, we will not hesitate to take decisive action. Every necessary step will be taken at the appropriate time without delay.”
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also reaffirmed his government’s unwavering commitment to upholding the trust placed in them by the people, who have endured decades of deception. He pledged to work tirelessly to build a better nation.
The Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, Director-General of Government Information, Harsha Bandara, and the heads of state media were present at the meeting.
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