The Environment Minister has proposed designating the Kelani River from Hanwella to Peliyagoda as a ‘conservation zone’ and to install CCTV cameras on the bridges built over the river in this zone to arrest those who drop garbage bags into the river at night.
He said the Kelani River has become polluted due to the dumping of garbage and waste by various institutions and individuals.
“Waste from various factories, especially in the Seethawaka and Biyagama industrial zones, is discharged into the Kelani River in many ways. It has also been observed that some people pack their garbage in polythene bags and deliberately drop them from bridges into the Kelani River at night,” the Minister said.
Therefore, the Ministry has decided to pay attention to the conservation of the Kelani River, one of the major rivers in the Western Province.
Minister Amaraweera said the Kelani River has been identified as the most polluted river in the entire 103 river network in the country and it should be conserved under the Surakimu Ganga programme. According to a survey conducted by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) on the entire river network, all rivers have 10,733 effluent discharges.
1374 such waste disposal sites have been identified in the vicinity of the Kelani River alone, out of which 797 are in Colombo city and 577 in the Gampaha district, he said. Most people in the Colombo and Gampaha districts get their drinking water as well as water for other needs from the Kelani River. The Kelani River meets 80% of the drinking water needs of the people in the Colombo District.
It was also proposed to install nets under the bridges to prevent debris from falling into the river. The necessary financial assistance will be provided under the Surakimu Ganga programme.
The Minister also instructed the officials conducting the Surakimu Ganga programme to allocate a large amount of the money spent on river conservation and to the conservation of the Kelani River.
The Minister said, “We have decided to give priority to the conservation of the Kelani River. If the river is not conserved, further pollution of the Kelani River can not be prevented in the future. If so, the water here could be even more contaminated. As a result, the people of Colombo and Gampaha may face a severe drinking water crisis as well as a number of major health problems in the future.
