CEA database for environmental management

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) is conducting a survey on industrial processes across the island.

After the survey a database will be developed by the Research and Special Project Unit of the CEA, based on Geographical Information Systems including all social and environmental information from these areas.

The database will include information about environment systems such as water bodies and forest cover, about culturally important places such as schools, temples, archaeological sites and information about the administrative setting of the area. The survey will see industries divided into three categories as large, medium and small-scale.

Two types of industries have been identified within this survey_industries which have obtained Environmental Protection Licence (EPL) and operate upto recommended standards and industries which haven't obtained EPL and violate environmental standards. Management of each type of industry will take place in future. In 2010 more than 100 cases were filed against industries operating without EPL. In 2009 also, a large number of cases had been filed and most industrial owners had to pay fines. Some of them were brought under the EPL process, some industries were warned while some had to be closed down.