Strongly resembling the glove manufacturing company in Rathupaswala belonging to Dipped Products PLC, a subsidiary of Hayleys group, a rubber manufacturing company in Hanwella – that is affiliated to the same group – has also come under criticism from villagers for polluting drinking water resources in the area.

It was against the rubber manufacturing company belonging to the Hayleys group that villagers staged a protest yesterday leading to the death of a senior police officer.

Speaking to Asian Mirror, Mohan Pandithage, Chairman of Hayleys Group admitted that the rubber manufacturing company in Hanwella is affiliated to the group.

“There is an ongoing court case in this regard and therefore I cannot divulge any further details,” Pandithage said.

When asked whether there was something fundamentally flawed with the waste disposal system adopted by Hayleys factories, Pandithage said he could not make media statements on the matter at this point.

Thousands of villagers in the area demand immediate relocation of the factory. “Earlier this factory was in Homagama and recently it was set up in Hanwella. After it was established in Hanwella, its waste disposal system strongly affected drinking water sources in our area. Hanwella is turning out to be another Rathupaswala. Environmental authorities also turn a blind eye to the problem,” a villager charged.