Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa questioned the government on the compensation process for the damage caused by the X-press Pearl disaster that took place in May 2021. The Opposition Leader made this observation raising a question under the Standing Order 27/2 in parliament yesterday (30).
The Opposition Leader said, “In May 2021, the X-press Pearl ship caught fire in Sri Lankan waters, causing severe damage to the coastal ecosystem. As a side effect, the fishing industry on the western coast of the country was also seriously damaged. Although the insurance companies have provided some amount of compensation for the total damage caused by this, the government has failed to submit a complete report to the Parliament regarding the compensation received. There is uncertainty as to whether the compensation was properly distributed to the fishing community and whether the destruction and damages were properly assessed.”
Premadasa questioned, “How many fishermen/fisherman families are affected in the affected areas? Has there been an assessment of the damage happened to these fishermen? So, how much is the damage assessment for each area? By what method was it calculated? Has full compensation been paid for the damages caused to the fishing community? If not, how much more compensation is there to be paid? When do you expect the compensation to be paid?”
Premadasa questioned, “Has the government obtained a full report on the adverse environmental effects caused by the fire from the X-press Pearl? If so, is the government going to present that report to this House? Has an environmental impact assessment been done? If so, will the assessment report be submitted to this House? What are the measures taken by the government to avoid the short-term and long-term adverse environmental effects after the ship fire and how are they progressing?”