Meethotamulla garbage dump on fire
By Shaahidah Riza and
Rathindra Kuruwita
A fire was reported at the Meethotamulla garbage dump and the Fire Brigade had been deployed to douse the blaze, the Police Media Unit said. Initial attempts to douse the fire failed as the firemen were unable to reach the affected area. However, the fire trucks were re-routed and later reached the area where the fire was blazing.
“Backhoes are also being used to create a buffer zone to prevent the fire from spreading. The residents closest to the fire must have been asked to evacuate,” a spokesman for the Police said.
Although there was no information about the severity of the fire, a large scale fire at a garbage dump can emanate toxic fumes.
In 2016 Several schools in Badulla were temporarily closed when students had to be hospitalized after inhaling smoke that emanated from a garbage dump at Badulupitiya.
Source -22/03/2017, Ceylon Today, See more at – http://www.ceylontoday.lk/article20170101CT20170331.php?id=4524
Six including foreigners held for snapping marine mammals
Following a tip-off, six persons including four foreigners who dived in ‘Thalaramba’ coastal area in North to take photographs of marine animals without due approval were arrested yesterday, Navy said.
During the arrest, a fiber glass dinghy, an underwater camera, a digital camera, 5 pairs of diving fins and 6 diving masks were taken into naval custody. The arrested persons along with their belongings were handed over to the officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation for onward action.
Source – 23/03/2017, Times Online, See more at – http://www.sundaytimes.lk/article/1018940/six-including-foreigners-held-for-snapping-marine-mammals
Injured tusker gets treatment, food
Wildlife officials were seen working their fingers to the bone to save an injured tusker lying down helplessly by the Adiyakadawala tank in Kottukachchiya. Dr. Isuru Hewa Kottage said the tusker’s health condition was serious but they were doing everything they can to save him. Meanwhile, people were seen visiting the location carrying fruits to feed the helpless tusker. Pix by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe.
Source – 21/03/2017, dailymirrorSee more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Injured-tusker-gets-treatment-food–125893.html#sthash.JKoXxwcL.dpuf
100 MW Korean solar power project hangs in balance
Emphasising the need of adopting proper tender procedure,Sri Lanka’s Power and Energy Ministry appears to be delaying or dropping a Korean Company’s offer to set up a 100 MW Solar Power Plant, to be done on a Turnkey Basis and handed over to the government which comes with project funding, Korean investors of the project claimed.
If commissioned, it will be one of the largest in South Asia Solar Power Plant; these investors said adding that the projects of this magnitude could be approved by the Cabinet with the consent of the Committee on Economic Management (CCEM).
When contacted, Secretary to the Ministry Dr. B.M.S Batagoda said the the government has taken a policy decision to call tenders for all solar power projects and no unsolicited bids will be entertained.
Normal procedure should be followed even if the project brings many benefits for the country, he said adding that the company will have to wait for another four months to apply for the tender for 100 MW solar power projects. The MOA Technology Company Ltd of Korea which has made the proposal jointly with world renowned Hyundai will be investing US$ 250 million including the financial cost of project for the solar power project on Turnkey basis (designed, supplied, built, installed fully complete and ready to operate).
The term Turnkey implies that the end user just has to turn a key and start generating power. The Korean company’s offer comes with no capital outlay for the government till such time the plant is operational and generating income, MOA Technology Company official revealed. On commissioning the plant, the government can entrust operations to a nominated agency such as the CEB or the Renewable Energy Authority. The power generated is to be contributed to the main grid at rates to be determined by the government, he said.
The proposal to government provides for a payback period of 15 years from date of commissioning plant and generating income. It was emphasized that the income generated is sufficient to payback cost of plant, meet operational cost and to have a surplus, he claimed
Apart from providing the land and main grid connection, there was no other contribution to be made by the government, MOA Technology company official told Business Times .
As outlined in their proposal, it is noted that the government will make a profit of over US$200 million over 25 years after meeting project and operational costs without any investment other than providing the required land..
The funding for the project had been lined up by the Korean Company after their initial visits about 6 months ago. However if project does not get underway before end March 2017, the funding will have to be re-negotiated by the Company and the commencement of the project could be further delayed, company official said.
The Company which has made the proposal has done similar projects in countries other than South Korea. If Sri Lanka fails to commence negotiations towards finalisation of project promptly, MOA Technologies will have to rearrange project funding. With no assurances if rearranging of funds will be a possibility, the Solar Power project hangs in balance, he claimed.
Since August 2016 the Korean experts have visited Sri Lanka a few times to carry out required studies etc. The proposal has been made to the government.
The Korean Company did indicate that they have the blessings of their government and it is been considered as a follow up step to the pilot project done by the Koreans in Hambantota of which the cost had been borne by the Korean government.
Source 19/03/2017, The Sunday Times, See more at – http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170319/business-times/100-mw-korean-solar-power-project-hangs-in-balance-232843.html
Using technology as a tool to create awareness on sustainability among corporates
The World Bank is currently looking at the possibilities of funding the plantations in a bid to salvage what is left of it.
This was highlighted at the AGM held recently in Colombo of an ex-planters grouping titled The Mascots by its President Devaka Wickramasuriya who stated that the World Bank had favourably looked at assisting the plantations.
However, the World Bank official in charge of this aspect, Ulrich Schmidt – Programme Leader sustainability and Resilience World Bank for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, when contacted by the Business Times said, that it was too early to comment.
The Mascots had prepared a report on the plantation industry, Mr. Wickramasuriya explained which provided suggestions on how the industry could be resurrected.
The sub-committee appointed to carry out the research on this subject submitted its report to the relevant government authorities and the ministry in addition to a copy being forwarded to the World Bank.
The World Bank funding is expected to be a capital infusion to overcome the current crisis on the plantations that have been faced with a number of issues like falling prices in the recent past but which picked up only due to the shortage of supply in the global market for tea.
Membership of the Mascots stands at 72 resident members, 41 overseas members and 12 associate members who are in fact the wives of colleagues.
The current General Committee comprises Sunil Wickramasinghe as Vice President, Hemannath Wickremesooriya as Treasurer with Randy McLeod, Winston Rupasinghe, Gnana Samaratunga and Harin de Costa functioning as members together with Tilak de Zoysa, Manik Pereira and Sarath Sirisena as Trustees.
source 19/03/2017, The Sunday Times, See more at – http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170319/business-times/world-bank-in-favour-of-salvaging-tea-plantations-232778.html
Blue Mountain Group to reforest 125 acres at Wilpattu
By Quintus Perera
he city of Colombo which is fast becoming a concrete jungle is to be greened after clearing a few constraints.
A media briefing was held in Colombo this week to announce the efforts made by Blue Mountain Group (BMG) in collaboration with the Forest Department to reforest a 125-acre land in Wilpattu in the Puttalam district. This is a part of their campaign of ‘Greening Sri Lanka’.
Dr. Hiran Hettiarachchi, Group Chairman, BMG said as a matter of principle, they undertook to preserve nature, pointed out that countries like, Singapore, the US and China are turning out to be concrete jungles and the environment of those countries are polluted, also pointing out that most parts of China are covered with a layer of fumes leading to such respiratory disorders, like coughing.
He said that Sri Lanka is a developed country in the sense where the people are happy that they can breathe fresh air, freely and to preserve that condition BMG is contributing its share to the ‘Greening Sri Lanka’ initiative.
Dr. Hettiarachchi told the Business Times that while it is necessary to green the city of Colombo there are a few constraints that are yet difficult to penetrate.
He said that in Colombo land prices are soaring to the extent where the going price of an acre of land in Colombo is around Rs. 1 billion and they are finding difficult to convince some members of the Government to apportion some land to preserve nature. He was pointed out that the lush greenery that was there in Colombo in the past has now diminished.
At the briefing, he said that reforesting of this 125 acres is only the beginning of their reforestation efforts and in all their land development projects they separate 10 perches for the nature, for the iguanas, wild hares and other animals as a place to live as they are thrown out of their habitat due to development.
He said that they have been undertaking this type of nature preserving projects without publicity, indicating however that BMG thought of holding a media briefing so that other large scale corporates could take their example and follow suit.
Source -19/03/2017, The Sunday Times, See more at -http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170319/business-times/blue-mountain-group-to-reforest-125-acres-at-wilpattu-232817.html
Toxic waste water disposal goes on unchecked
Industrial waste water and municipal sewage released untreated poses a danger to Sri Lanka’s environment, experts warn on the eve of World Water Day, which falls on Wednesday (March 22).
The theme this year is “waste water” with the campaign focusing on reducing and reusing waste water.
Globally, over 80 per cent of the waste water generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused, says a United Nation’s report. This has been the case even locally, water experts in Sri Lanka say.
“Most collected waste water in Sri Lanka is released to surface water bodies and eventually the ocean without any treatment. Even Colombo has so far only a sea outfall for its waste water,” says Pay Drechsel researcher at International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
A recent study by the Ministry of Environment in partnership with UNICEF and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reveals that pollution in the Kelani River basin is severe and industrial waste water as well as domestic waste water aggravates the pollution.
A separate study by the Environmental Foundation Limited to identify industries located along the river mapped facilities that discharge waste water to the river.
Service stations are another major waste water generating source, but the discharge goes directly to natural water sources.
These polluting industries and service stations should not be allowed on river and stream banks, says Kusum Athukorala of Sri Lanka Water Partnership. She suggests zoning laws that restrict these into industrial zones.
Apart from industrial polluters, there are also households which discharge their effluents into rivers and water bodies.
The World Health Organisation says in a 2014 report that 1.8 billion people use a source of drinking water contaminated with faeces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio. Unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene cause around 842,000 deaths each year.
“Too many toilets pits in business premises and houses in wayside communities such as Gampola and Pilimatalawa seem to lead directly into streams and rivers. “Trucks transporting sewage are often seen dumping loads into main rivers such as the Kelani in places such as Sedawatta,” said Kusum Athukorala, chairperson of Sri Lanka Water Partnership.
Most households rely on septic tanks or pit latrines. However, there are only very few treatment plants for human waste collected from these pits or septic tanks, once they fill up. Only 1 per cent of the excreta (fecal sludge) are treated. Due to the lack of dumping/treatment sites, illegal dumping in landfills is common, and surface and groundwater can get heavily polluted, points out IWMI researcher Drechsel.
Due to population growth, accelerated urbanisation and economic development, the waste water volumes and pollution are increasing globally.
This will be an issue for the proposed megapolis development, and experts say waste water management should not be neglected.
But there are ways to make use of waste water. Safely managed waste water is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy, nutrients and other recoverable materials. There are many treatment processes and operational systems that will allow cities to use waste water to meet the growing water demand, support sustainable agriculture, and enhance energy production and industrial development.
Experts say treated waste water can be used safely for agriculture or service stations etc.
| Waste water has its usesEvery time we use water, we produce waste water. According to UN Water, 80 per cent of all our waste water just flows back to nature untreated.
Households should to try to reduce waste water, said Kusum Athukorala of Sri Lanka Water Partnership. And the waste water that is generated can be used for watering of plants and washing cars. |
CEA to ban PET bottles under one litre
By Chrishanthi Christopher
Discarded plastic bottles creating environmental problems
The Central Environment Authority (CEA) is to ban the sale of carbonated drinks and fruit juices in PET (PolyEthylene Tetraphthalate ) bottles below 1 litre, to control the plastic menace in the country.
CEA Waste Management Director, J.M.U. Indraratne said that, instead, the Beverage industry will be encouraged to sell drinks in glass bottles. However, the industry could use PET bottles of 1 litre or more, for their beverages. Water will be exempted from the law.
He said this would minimise environmental problems caused by plastics. It is also intended to curb haphazard disposal of and burning plastic bottles, causing health hazards, together with economic and social problems.
The CEA, at the end of the 2016 Siripada season, collected 5.5 tons of PET bottles and 830 kg of plastic waste.
In a Polythene/Plastic and Electronic Waste Prevention Week in October last year, involving all Districts, the CEA collected 71.59 tons of plastic/polythene and 440.38 tons of e-waste, with Colombo contributing the highest of 222,738 kg of e-waste and 9,225 kg of plastic/polythene, while Mullaitivu contributed 845 kg of e-waste and 165 kg of plastic/polythene.
Mr Indraratne said that plastics was losing its value in the world market. He said 1 kg of recyclable plastic earlier fetched up to Rs 46 per kg but now, it has come down to Rs 6 per kg. Consequently, many people who collected and sold used plastic bottles, have abandoned the trade.
The CEA says the use of glass bottles, while greatly reducing the amount of discarded bottles, will also have a recycle value.
Additionally, the CEA will also ban the import of recycled raw material and the sale of lunch sheets below 40 microns, in the local market.
At a CEA Expert Committee meeting in November 2016, officials from the CAA, Ministry of Health, university Researchers and industrialists related to plastic manufacture discussed a future action plan for a national policy to manage plastic, by initially doing away with lunch sheets, and then increasing the thickness of shopping bags to 40 microns.
Mr Indraratne said a Cabinet paper will be submitted for approval, soon.
Advisory Committee Chairman, Anton Hemantha said that, “However, the Packaging industries were not consulted in the decision making. He opined that, banning PET bottles below 1 litre capacity, will be disastrous for the Beverage market.
He said PET bottles are very handy with soft drinks and yoghurt packaged in economic PET bottles. Moreover, thousands of tourists visiting the country opt for the PET bottled drinks. “We need economical plastic bottles,” he said.
“We need lunch sheets to wrap takeaway food and shopping bags over 40 microns will be costly. Supermarkets will pass the buck to the customer,” he said.
To produce high density polyethylene for shopping bags, more raw material has to be imported with extra money spent on it. Currently, 1,400 metric tonnes of raw material is imported. Again the disposal of the thicker gauge will prove even more difficult.
Mr Hemantha conceded that, while the world is going in one direction, producing thinner gauge plastic, Sri Lanka is taking a u-turn.
“The way the CEA is going it is not going to work. The only solution is re-cycling. Collect and add value to the plastic waste.”
A PET bottle manufacturing company for leading brands of carbonated drinks and fruit juices said the ban on economy sized PET bottles will have an adverse impact on the economy.
They said the economy bottles are for third world countries, whose people cannot afford the big bottle. The Packaging industry will support the government, if it comes forward with a proper mechanism for the disposal of plastics. It was argued that, substituting glass bottles will only create additional weight, cumbersome handling and increased transport cost.
Source-19/03/2017, The Sunday Times , See more at – http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170319/news/cea-to-ban-pet-bottles-under-one-litre-233500.html
Biggest garbage generator tries to put house in order
Waste collected in the Colombo Municipality area still continues to be transported to the Meethotamulla site despite public protests. Pic by Indika Handuwala
By Akash Widanapathirana
In the Western Province, where more than 60 per cent of Sri Lanka’s waste is generated, police and military will be keeping an eye on the streets for reckless garbage disposal.
A team has been tasked with reporting mismanagement of garbage to the relevant authorities.
Lawsuit filed by Environment Police have increased three-fold.
Senior DIG of the Western Province, Nandana Munasinghe said: “We make field visits in the morning and and action is taken if garbage is dumped on the roads. However the contribution of the people is not sufficient in this regard.”
According to the Waste Management Authority, between 7,000 metric tonnes and 7,500 metric tonnes of solid waste are generated in Sri Lanka per day. The Colombo District alone generates 2,000-2,100 MT.
However, only 50-60 per cent of the garbage generated island-wide are collected by local authorities.
Nearly 800-850 MT of solid waste are transported to the Meethotamulla site by the Colombo Municipality Council and the Kolonnawa Urban Council.
The Western Province accounts for more than 60 per cent of waste generation in the country.
It will only get worse. The Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development has forecast that by 2030, the megapolis and the off-shore port city luxury residential project will generate another 1,300 MT a day.
Dr Upali Indrasiri, project director of the presidential task force on environment protection, told the Sunday Times there are plans for the future.
Projects to convert waste to energy will be launched in Muthurajawela, Karadiyana, and Kaduwela, Bomiriya.
Karadiyana has an expected capacity of 1,000 MT per day and in Muthurajawela it will be 630 MT per day. Dr Indrasiri said discrepancies related to the feed-in-tariff rate for the generated power that caused a significant delay in the implementation of the project, has now been solved.
The Bloemendhal waste site will be transformed into a mix of commercial areas, an urban forest patch, and a recreational park.
A report by the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development says that sanitary land fills will be created in Malamulla, Divulapitiya, and a bio gas project will be initiated in Dikkovita.
Meanwhile, Sidath Nilanga, health supervisor in the Dompe Divisional Secretariate said recycling of garbage that began a few years back has been
successful.
He said about 10 MT of garbage are collected every day in the Dompe area and 3 MT were used for compost production.
“One metric tonne of compost can be produced from that although sometimes it may take 2-3 weeks depending on factors such as rainfall, and humidity.” He said there was good demand for compost.
“There have been instances when five MT of compost were requested at once. But our production is low.” He said that a sanitary landfill system is managed for waste that cannot be recycled or used for compost production.
“Plastic and polythene are dumped in a separate pit.’’
He said the pit has a capacity of 90 MT a day and only 10 MT of garbage is received. But he stressed that a sanitary landfill is only a short term solution.
A. T. U. Kularathna, public health inspector in the Kaduwela Municipality Council, also said bio degradables are used for compost and bio-gas production while plastics, glass and polythene are recycled through machinery provided by the Central Environment Authority.
“We earn some revenue from recycling and compost manufacturing. We distribute it among the workers who collect the garbage from households and companies. It is a kind of motivation for them as well,” he said.
| Wellawatte, Mattakkuliya worst offendersWaste collected in the Colombo Municipality area still continue to be transported to the Meethotamulla site despite public protests.The deputy director of solid waste management at the Colombo Municipal Council said 750-850 metric tonnes of waste are collected per day. Some of the waste is sold to recyclers while the rest is transported to the Meethotamulla.
She said that although the garbage sent to Meethotamulla includes a large amount of organic waste, it cannot be turned into compost because there is no site for the purpose. If garbage is separated, the amount of waste collected could be reduced by 100 MT per day, she claimed. But she said there is little effort by the people to separate their waste. Residents in Mattakkuliya, Wellawatta and north Colombo are the worst offenders when it comes to not separating their waste, she said. Source -19/03/2017,The Sunday Times, See more at – http://www.sundaytimes.lk/170319/news/biggest-garbage-generator-tries-to-put-house-in-order-233363.html |
US conservation group wins $1m grant for SL project.
BERKELEY, California —A Berkeley-based organization- Seacology-has won a grant of almost $1 million for a conservation project in Sri Lanka.
The Berkeley-based organization is a winner in this year’s Water Window Challenge sponsored by the international Global Resilience Partnership.
A goal of the competition is to bolster the resilience of flood-prone communities in Central and East Africa and South and Southeast Asia against climate change and natural disasters.
Seacology’s Sri Lanka Mangrove Conservation Project aims to protect the Indian Ocean island nation’s remaining mangrove forests, replant thousands of acres of deforested coastline, and offer microloans and business training to tens of thousands of disadvantaged women who otherwise would cut down mangroves to sell as charcoal, according to a news release.
The project is in collaboration with the local non-governmental organization Sudeesa, also known as Small Fishers Federation of Sri Lanka. “This project makes Sri Lanka the first nation in the world to protect all of its mangrove forests,” Duane Silverstein, Seacology’s executive director, said in the release.
“This is very important as mangroves sequester more carbon than other forests and thus play a vital role in the battle against global warming.”
The grant will allow Seacology to expand the project to northern and eastern portions of Sri Lanka that were disproportionately impacted by a 26-year-long civil war, fueled by ethnic tensions between the nation’s Buddhist Sinhalese majority and Hindu Tamil minority, that was officially proclaimed ended in 2009.(East Bay Times).
Source – 18/03/2017,Dailymirror, See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/US-conservation-group-wins-m-grant-for-SL-project-125732.html#sthash.pOlpt3Ss.dpuf
