[Earth Hope]

Norris Canal turns into garbage sewer

CMC Funds not enough for man or machine:

Harshini PERERA

Norris Canal

How would you feel if you had to enter to your workplace passing by a stinking drainage canal? You would resent that idea, no doubt, if you personally experience it.

Yes, it is no wonder for state as well as and private sector employees whose work places are located closer to the Norris Canal, which runs along the D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha, near the Gamini Hall roundabout.

The canal is in good order but sadly lacks maintenance. The drain is a cozy place for flies and mosquitoes, the sponsors of dengue and Chikungunya.

The Norris Canal which was built to drain off storm water, originates near Carey College, Colombo, carries a way not only rain water to the Beira Lake but also polluted waste water from the General Hospital and the vicinity.

Moreover people have turned it into a garbage dump which makes the situation worse. People who work in state and private establishments, as well as the residents living around the area are the ones who are badly affected.

Other than the stench, the area is swarmed with mosquitoes, making it difficult for anyone to do even a bit of work even during daytime.

The area near the roundabout is full of important buildings like the National Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Transport, Samagam Medura which draw visitors including foreign delegates and ministers, almost daily.

“This has been a major problem for the past eight years since the time the canal was last cleaned. We have been nauseated by the stench, in addition to the nagging mosquitoes, irritating flies and crawling cockroaches.

On top of all this, piles of lamp posts belonging to CEB, have been stacked on the wayside, providing a good cover for nefarious activities,” said, Athula, an owner of a bookshop just across the road.

The Finance Manager of the National Chamber of Commerce had made several complaints to the Colombo Municipal Council but the stock response he got was shortage of funds.

“We cannot work peacefully while being bitten by mosquitoes all the time. Even the fans or the mosquito coils can deter the mosquitoes”, a security guard lamented.

“The canal starting near Carey College and runs close to the Colombo National Hospital, where waste water and garbage from the hospital gets into the canal. Moreover, people use the canal for their ablutions as well.” a three-wheeler driver who operates near the area for the past 10 years, told the Sunday Observer.

“Although the rain water flushed out the garbage, the stench remains,” said an employees attached to the Chamber of Commerce.

The canal is maintained by the 2B Engineering Division of Colombo Municipal Council.

When contacted, Maintenance Engineer, W.M.U.K. Kumara of 2B division, explained that a massive project was planned, so long ago but the funds were not forthcoming.

“The location also makes it difficult to clean the canal bed using backhoe loaders,” he pointed out.

An official from Colombo Municipal Council on condition of anonymity said that the staff are not only inefficient but also insufficient making things more complicated while the short allocation of funds makes things more difficult.

It is apparent that the General Hospital is the main polluter of this canal.

He further said that it was by no means a small project where it had to be restructured right from the Beira lake .

In other words the whole system of drainage should be reconstructed which may cost a tidy sum. People should be made aware that this rain water drainage system should not be polluted with sewage water or washwater, because it will affect the ecological balance of Beira lake.

Proper waste management - a must

At a discussion held recently at the Temple Trees presided by President Mahinda Rajapaksa - with the representation of the Ministries of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development, Local Government and Provincial Councils, Board of Investments and Colombo Municipal Council - about the environmental, health and safety issues that arose concerning the Bloemendhal garbage dump, Patalee Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources pointed out that although a National Programm for garbage disposal have been formulated - Pilisaru - and already in practice the total authority of garbage disposal lies with local authorities.

Bloemendhal garbage dump

Since these local authorities are working with private companies on long term contracts taking necessary action concerning garbage disposal has proved difficult.

The garbage problem in Colombo has taken a turn for the worse because garbage from Panadura, Gampaha, Avissawella, Maharagama and Kaduwela are brought to the city of Colombo by private companies.

He also pointed out that fact that land had not been allocated for garbage disposal when planing settlements, towns, industries and free trade zones and using the land allocated to garbage disposal for other purposes is another reason for the issue.

Since no proper garbage segregation methods are adhered to waste from all sorts of industries such as hospital, harbour and electronic are dumped haphazardly in one dumping site.

Consequently President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that garbage disposal should be conducted according to Pilisaru with the collaboration of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Local government, Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils, Urban Development Council.

He said that necessary legal action would be taken against those who attempt to turn garbage disposal into a money making scheme.

He called for immediate action by the Urban Development Council to identify and to obtain suitable land for garbage disposal. Land should be used for garbage disposal under the Pilisaru programme. Garbage dumps that pose a threat, such as Bloemendhal, Karadiyana and Kandy Gohagoda should be dealt with by formulating necessary legal plans against current garbage disposal practices. He also recommended the that segregation of electronic, plastic, polythene should be facilitated further.

It was revealed that there are eleven urban and provincial councils whose haphazard waste management processes have posed a threat to human hygiene, safety and environment and taking due legal action will soon ensue.

Climate Trail

Climate Trail exhibition which is now on at the Public Library premises will end on March 17.

The exhibition is organised by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources together with the Embassy of Switzerland in Sri Lanka.

Her Excellency the Ambassador of Switzerland Ruth Flint and Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources graced the occasion.

Owing to the fruitful cooperation between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Embassy of Switzerland in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan public has the opportunity to enjoy this enriching outdoor experience in March 2009.

For a long time already Switzerland has been well aware of the consequences of global warming and the response that this challenge demands. For instance, Swiss glaciers are melting at an unprecedented pace, skiing may soon be history in some mountain resorts, there are more and stronger thunderstorms and flooding becoming more frequent.

For this reason, government agencies, business leaders as well as leading scientists in Switzerland have been working together to find innovative solutions to reduce energy consumption and foster sustainable ways of living.

The Climate Trail exhibition is way of sharing their experiences with Switzerland’s partners in the world. It consists of a series of posters and experts’ comments on issues related to climate change. It offers an interactive opportunity to learn about global warming and encourages multidisciplinary discussions about how to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle.

The Climate Trail exhibition describes the greenhouse effect and other contributors to global warming, details its impact and offers solutions, some of which already adopted by Switzerland in recent decades, including transportation initiatives, low-carbon-footprint construction, renewable energy and strategies for sustainable living.

The exhibition is a unique opportunity to learn about climate change, science and solutions. In the United States of America where the Exhibition is a great success, thousands of people have already walked and enjoyed the Climate Trail Exhibition and enhanced their knowledge on one of the most important issues of our time.

Smallest Whale Shark discovered

Early on March 7 a project leader from the international conservation organization WWF and others in the town of Donsol, San Antonio, Philippines, heard that a live whale shark was being offered for sale at a nearby beach. Expecting a stranded giant, the rescuers found instead a 15-inch (38-centimeter) shark leashed to a stake in the mud like a neglected puppy.

Harmless to humans, whale sharks feed mainly on plankton and can grow to at least 40 feet (12 meters) long. They are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, meaning they "face a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future."

Source: nationalgeographic.com

Extinct?

Doona ovalifolia (Piniberiliya)
Family - Dipterocarpaceae
Scientific Name - Doona ovalifolia Thw.
Sinhala Name - Piniberiliya
Status - Extinct, Endemic

Doona ovalifolia belongs to the Dipterocarpaceae family (Hora), which consists of fifty eight endemic species. Genus Doona consists ten species. Among them D. ovalifolia is only recorded from the Hewesse area (Nellowe), never recorded after 1928. Only one tree found is found, today in the Royal Botanical Garden, Peradeniya.

Large sized tree is 16-18m tall and bole short with superficially narrowly fluted. Bark of the tree has dark brown and peels in large thick plates.

Branchlets are slender, glabrous. Terminal buds are small with few bud scales. Stipules are oblong. The indicative features are ovate leaves and secondary veins visible on the underside of leaf. Flowering occurs as small white flowers in top of the branches. Small fruits have three broad wings with a narrow base.

According to the 2007 Red List of Threatened Fauna and Flora of Sri Lanka Piniberaliya is an extinct species, the main reason for which is destructive agricultural practices (clearing for major crops), habitat destruction, etc...

Reference

1. Kostermans, A.J.G.H. (1992) A handbook of the Dipterocarpaceae of Sri Lanka. Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka.

2. UCN Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (2007). The 2007 Red List of Threatened Fauna and Flora of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Pic source: Kostermans, 1992

Dilup Chandranimal

IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature)

Sri Lanka - Country Office