COLOMBO, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka on Wednesday said it would halt work on the "World's Tallest Christmas Tree" which was being constructed at the Galle Face Green in the capital.
The tree was being constructed by the Ministry of Ports and Shipping and was poised to be a large tourist attraction.
No reason for the halt has been given as yet.
The suspension comes amid objections raised by the Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, who stated that the construction was a "sheer waste of money."
The archbishop said that funds allocated for the tree should instead be used to construct houses for the poor people or provide scholarships to the poor children.
The tree reportedly was funded by the Arjuna Ranatunga Welfare Fund and was constructed using iron, old wood material, chicken wire mesh and vinyl flowers.
The tree was scheduled to be completed by December 22 and displayed for 10 days beginning on Christmas Day.
