Administration report / Public Health Department, Colombo Municipality.

  • Colombo (Sri Lanka). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1917]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Administration report / Public Health Department, Colombo Municipality. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    41/60 (page 21)
    31. Cemeteries. One of the curious anomalies of the Municipal Service is that the administrative control of cemeteries is vested in the Medical Officer of Health. In a review of the administration of cemeteries (No. 3 of 5th January, 1916) it has already been suggested that they should properly be regarded as gardens or parks, and like these would be more fittingly administered by the Works Engineer, who already controls all public gardens and parks, for which purpose he has at his disposal a staff of trained gardeners, &c. The present arrangement is a relict of bygone days when the proper functions and scope of the Sanitary Department do not appear to have been realised, and when in consequence it was regarded as a convenient organisation for the carrying out of all sorts of odd jobs, some of which had no connection with sanitation. As the transfer of control referred to above has not yet been sanctioned, it is urged that the time and attention of the Public Health Department should be devoted entirely to safeguarding the health of the peoples’ bodies while they are alive, and should not be distracted by having to attend also to their resting places when they are dead. There are 3 general cemeteries in Colombo, viz :—Kanatte, Madanipitiya and Liveramentu. As has previously been pointed out the ground available for burial in Kanatte Cemetery is becoming so limited that it would be well to set about securing further space elsewhere. With the object of relieving temporarily the demand made upon this cemetery, and at the same time of effecting a very desirable improvement in a rapidly growing residential quarter of the town,, the improvement of the long neglected cemetery of Liveramentu was undertaken by this Depart¬ ment during the year. Good progress was made as the result of a small expenditure of Rs. 800, and the Council has since sanctioned the expenditure during 1918 of a further sum of Rs. 2285 on this work, including the provision of a water supply for gardening purposes. The work is being carried out departmentally under the Cemetery-keeper Mr. A. B. Brohier, with the skilled advice of Mr. E. G. LaBrooy who has done so much to improve the Madampitiya Cemetery, and it is hoped that before the end of the year Liveramentu will have been converted from a snake infested jungle into a pleasant garden. 32. Markets. There are two types of market in Colombo, viz :—Public Markets, built and owned by the Municipal Council, the stalls in which are let or leased ; and private markets, represented for the most part by roadside shops or boutiques. . In one or two instances private markets on a larger scale, providing accomodation for a number of traders have been established, e. g., the private vegetable and fish markets at Nagalagam, the private vegetable market at Borella and the private fish market at Slave Island. While the public markets leave much to be desired, and require for the most part complete rearrangement and re construction on up-to-date lines, the private markets, but especially the roadside boutiques in which meat and fish are sold, are infinitely worse. They are in fact without exception, primitive, grossly insanitary and a constantly recurring source of public nuisance. A definite policy in regard to the market service of the town being urgently required, the whole question was gone into and a number of proposals were submitted ( 425 of 1st September, 1917,) for the establishment of a series of public markets throughout the town to serve the needs of the population. The expenditure which will be involved in the acquisition of the necessary land, and in the erection of buildings, will necessarily be considerable ; but the longer action is delayed the greater will the cost of the land become, and the more difficult will it be to secure sites in sui¬ table centres. It has therefore been recommended that a definite policy be adopted of acquiring suitable sites in the various centres indicated, so that when funds permit, public markets may be established, and the insanitary roadside meat, fish and vegetable boutiques be then abolished. 33. Slaughter-house. No. 27.—Slaughter-house. Number of cattle slaughtered „ ,, sheep and goats slaughtered ,, „ pigs slaughtered „ „ cattle rejected before slaughter ,, „ cattle rejected owing to poor condition „ „ sheep and goats rejected „ „ cattle rejected after slaughter „ „ pigs rejected after slaughter 24,892 67,235 3,122 223 200 41 58|- 1 No slaughter of animals for food, is allowed except in the Municipal Slaughter-house at Welikade, unless a special license is obtained for private slaughter. A considerable number of applications for private slaughter in connection with religious ceremonies are received annually and they are generally allowed. The cruel method of slaughter by cutting the animal’s throat without previous stunning, is adhered to by the Mohamedan butchers on religions grounds and has for that reason been allowed to continue. An attempt was made some years ago and was at the request of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals renewed during 1917, to induce the Sinhalese butchers to stun the animals before bleeding, by using the Humane Cattle Killer—(a species of gun,) but without success, the butchers refusing to use it on the mercenary grounds that it damaged the brains of the animals and made them unmarketable. If stunning is to be introduced here it must be made compulsory by law, but there are almost insuperable difficulties in the way of introducing this, even in the case of animals the flesh of which is destined for the use of non-Mohamedans.