Litter-free Sri Lanka by 2012
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has been allocated
Rs. 6 billion by the government to speed up its island-wide waste
management programme, Pilisaru. The programme, the first of its kind to
be introduced in the island, is aimed at a litter-free Sri Lanka by
2012.
Pilisaru
is focused on solid waste disposal with an enhanced participatory action
plan on waste management. The programme requires the integration of
Local Government bodies, provincial councils and provincial ministries
with the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry, for effective and
efficient waste management. This involves collecting, transporting,
processing, recycling and disposing of waste materials.
A sum of over Rs. 17 million was distributed among officials of 18
selected local government bodies recently to activate the initial phase
of Pilisaru. This took place at the Auditorium of Central Environment
Authority, which will be a main actor in supervising the programme.
The 18 local bodies are expected to manage 65 tonnes of solid waste
in their respective localities and thereby to reduce 16 tonnes of
environmentally harmful methane or waste gas from being released to the
atmosphere, thus establishing methodical control over carbon emissions
to an estimated 352 tonnes.
The Ministry is taking steps to put up seven mega(very large)
composting facilities in the Kalutara, Colombo, Gampaha, Anuradhapura
and Kandy districts under the programmes. |