Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem told Parliament yesterday that furnace oil was responsible for the recent incident of water pollution in the Kelani River.

He made this observation, replying to a question by Opposition Chief Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake on the recent leakage of a pollutant to the Kelani River from the Coca-coal plant in Biyagama.

Furthermore, Hakeem recalled that the Environmental Protection License of the company was suspended from August 21 to August 31.

However, Dissanayake asked as to why the license was returned without proper assurance of the water quality in the river.

Hakeem said that the company has given assurance on the non-recurrence of the event and that the quality of the water can be assured.

It was also revealed that the government incurred a loss of Rs 134 million due to the recent event.