A coalition of several government organisations and military bodies have cleaned up 9 km of the coast following the disastrous MV X-Press Pearl fire. However, the Government has initiated immediate coastal clean-up operations under the instructions of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. These efforts to clean the coast began on 26 May and as of last week (3 June), have removed 584 tonnes of plastic material originating from the MV X-Press Pearl. The official stated that around 470 naval command personnel were engaged in clearing this part of the coast daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The UDA official stated that an additional team of Navy lifeguards was deployed in the area to carry out sea and beach clean-up operations from the tidal flats.

Source: The Nation June 05, 2021 18:56 UTC