|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 14 March 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Eco-Park at Kandalama Making the most of nature's resources by Vimukthi Fernando
A giant rising from the forest - seven storied and spacious, hiding over 160 guest rooms in its belly. At full occupancy feeding the guests itself is a daunting task. Needless to say about the other activities - keeping the place clean and catering to the wants and needs of the numerous guests. The task requires a vast amount of material and human resources, and in the process produces an equally daunting amount of waste. One cannot stop thinking about the waste products that might be released and pollute the environment. But, not at the Kandalama hotel, built in the scenic vicinity of the Kandalama tank. It is their pride and almost all the guests are made aware of the Eco-Park of the Kandalama Hotel. It is "the heart of the hotel", says Sanath Welaratne, the Eco-Animator in charge of the park as he gives me a tour of the place. The park is open and easily accessible to any guest. It is where guests learn more about the fauna and flora of the area as well as the hotel's efforts in the optimum use of natural resources. The Eco-Park houses Kandalama Hotel's museum of animals in the Kandalama area, animal rehabilitation centre, herbal garden, bee-keeping project, waste-water recycling project and the garbage sort out and recycling area.
Most attractive and informative is the museum which houses the preserved remains of the dead animals. Butterflies, snakes, birds, mammals, amphibians whatever the kind you see a specimen there. The museum though compact exhibits informative posters on the fauna and flora of Sri Lanka. The latest addition to this is an eco-library where a wealth of information is found on nature. Animals An animal rehabilitation centre which houses injured animals - especially snakes found in the vicinity is a speciality as well. "It is very common to see injured or dead snakes on the road. They move about in the night when drivers cannot see them. Now the villagers know we treat the injured animals and we get to know of injured or dead animals quickly. The news had spread and now they call us whenever a snake comes to their homesteads as well," says Welaratne, as he shows me four of the five species of poisonous snakes in Sri Lanka. All his specimens are found from the area. The Eco-Park shelters the injured animals and releases them to the wild when healed. Next to the museum is the garbage sort out centre. About one tractor-load of dry solid waste is sent to the Eco-Park daily, says Welaratne. This is in addition to over 1,000 kilo grams of food waste given free of charge to a piggery in Galewela.
The garbage - plastic, paper, wood and so on are sorted out accordingly by two persons employed for the purpose. Those items which can be re-used by the hotel is sent for the cleaning process. Of the rest, which can be re-used are sold for a nominal fee to outsiders who are regular customers coming in for their purchases at a set time. "The garbage sort out centre is self sustaining. The income earned here keeps two people on full-time employment. Last month the income was over Rs. 12,000," says Welaratne. Those items which cannot be recycled are sent through the incinerator and the residue is buried in the hotel grounds. "By that time it is reduced to a minimum," he says. Though some of the paper was previously left-over after producing recycled stationery, a new tie up with a paper plant will make use of all the waste paper, plus the dung of the two hotel elephants - to produce elephant dung paper which is in demand with the tourists. The sewage treatment plant is another interesting area. The hotel produces about 80,000 gallons of waste water per day, says Welaratne. However, this waste water does not go waste. In two huge tanks, built close to the hotels two wings, the water goes through what is called an extended areation process, adding oxygen to the waste water, areating the liquid effluents and accelerating the oxidisation and sedimentation process. This water delude of sediment goes through a cleaning process in different chambers and re-used to irrigate roof gardens. The sedimented sludge is sun-dried and added to the compost pit. The manure from the compost pit is sold to the farmers and interested guests at Rs. 10 per kilo-gram. Herb garden The park's herbal garden houses many a rare and medicinal plants. Its nursery produces many an indigenous plant and herb which is given free of charge to interested Sri Lankan guests. "This is to spread the message of conservation," says Welaratne. The plants not used by guests enrich the Eco-Park. The herbal garden also houses the hotel's bee-keeping project. It has been introduced as a demonstration to the community to adopt good practices, says Welaratne. Villagers who have learned bee-keeping techniques from the Eco-Park are now employed in bee-keeping. Bee-keeping also helps reduce the strain of damage and over-exploitation on the forest resources. Furthermore, it helps increase crop productivity and income levels of the villagers, he adds. The honey produced from bee-keeping is used in the hotel's kitchen and restaurant. The patch of forest in the Eco-Park houses many a bird and small animal. The morning bird-feeding time brings in the feast of a family of jungle-foul to the eye of the visitor. Flocks of different bird varieties feasting on jam-fruit is a common sight here. The hotel welcomes students and study groups from surrounding schools to the Eco-Park. Lectures and discussions are often held here for hotel-staff as well as outsiders, says Welaratne. The Eco-Park had been an innovation of the hotel staff. It is built on the 3R principal of reduction, reuse and recycling says Welaratne. Launched on July 7, 1998 by the President of the World Travel and Tourism Council and the then Ministers of Tourism and Aviation and Forestry and Environment, the Eco-Park had been instrumental in winning the Green Globe awards for Kandalama. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
