Saving Digana!
by Nilma Dole
 If there ever was a place to
sink in beautiful memories, it would be Digana. Blessed with beautiful
scenery and a healthy atmosphere, Digana is the great location of the
school Ecole Internationale, the renowned Digana Village Resort and
delightful Orutota Chalets. In addition to this, the Digana Village has
a peaceful environment for the residents who can jog around and take
their time in living life.
The historic sites which were once part of the prestigious company,
International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the present Mahaweli
Authority of Sri Lanka, Digana Village is more than just a residential
township. The delicate stone pavements and the quaint streets make the
Digana Village the right place to call home. The stunning Victoria Golf
Club is also in close proximity to Digana and it has been a haven for
holiday makers and golfers alike. The lush green plains in Digana are
testimony to the fact that the environment-friendly surroundings bring
joy to life.
However, according to a health report published by the Postgraduate
Institute of Agriculture of the University of Peradeniya, there are
economic and health consequences of lime dust emissions in Digana.
Apparently many around the area have been having respiratory diseases
as the pollution caused by the lime industry in Digana is making a
serious impact. It has been concluded that implementing strong
environmental standards, making people aware about the industrial
pollutants and their hazardous impacts, while also improving the health
facilities are indispensable measures that can be used to curb the
consequences of the lime industry in Digana.
 On a positive note, the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority is
trying to change the primitive level designs and low efficiencies of the
old kilns. This industry, clustered in Matale and Kandy areas have been
threatened with lack of firewood hence deforestation is rampant in these
parts. The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority carried out a project
to improve the systems used in lime kilns so that it would address the
problem of difficulty in fetching firewood through making better use of
the firewood. The technology used here is gasifier technology and
through making the process easy to control and thereby reducing losses,
the system is improved. The ECF (Environment Conservation Foundation)
carried out a pilot project in the Digana area and it came out with
successful results.
So remember whether it is a holiday or just a visit to your old
school, leave only your footprints and take only photographs because
Digana is a environmentally friendly naturally beautiful village that
needs to be protected! |
