News
Lanka produces 7,000 tonnes of trash a day
Only half of them being collected as municipal waste
Sri Lanka produces 7,000 tonnes of solid waste per day, with only half being collected as municipal waste, it was revealed at an Inception Workshop for Local Authorities for a Sustainable Sri Lanka by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka.
A UNDP release said: Municipal Waste Management (MSW) is causing key social, environmental, and economic concerns in Sri Lanka. The country produces 7,000 tonnes of solid waste per day, with only half being collected as municipal waste according to the Waste Management Division of the Central Environmental Authority. Overall, 85% of waste generated is estimated to be disposed of inappropriately, mainly through indiscriminate open dumping and burning giving rise to health and environmental impacts.
The Western Province alone generates more than 59% (approximately 4,200 tonnes) of solid waste with a high degree of biodegradability. With trends in urbanization and rapid population growth, municipal waste generation is expected to rise to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025. As such, transitioning from a traditional unsustainable system to sustainable waste management is a key necessity. Controlling the generation, storage, collection, transportation, processing and disposal of solid waste materials in a manner that best addresses the range of public health, conservation, economic, aesthetic, engineering, and other environmental considerations is a requirement for Sri Lanka. Therefore, as the country makes headway in its green recovery, it is crucial to build measures to introduce sustainable waste management options for Local Authorities (LAs).
Speaking on the topic at the inception workshop on Scaling up Sustainable and Low-Carbon Municipal Solid Waste Management and Resource Recovery in Sri Lanka held recently, M. M. P. K. Mayadunne, Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government noted, “Finding a practical and a long-term solution to Municipal Solid Waste Management is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders. As Local Authorities are on the frontlines of Municipal Solid Waste Management, supporting Local Authorities to come up with a sustainable system with public-private partnerships to control waste generation and final disposal is crucial”.
In line with this, together with the Ministry of Environment in Sri Lanka, the Government of the Republic of Korea, and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka is scaling up efforts to utilize best available technologies to improve Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM), support other waste related value chains and strengthen the capacity of women-led micro and small enterprises to engage in resource recovery initiatives in Sri Lanka.
Speaking on Korea’s expertise, Bohae Na, Programme Coordinator and Associate Researcher, KEITI noted, “It is a pleasure to work with Sri Lanka and UNDP in scaling up Municipal Waste management systems in Sri Lanka and we believe Korea’s technological and knowledge transfer and expertise will be a great asset in developing the sustainability of Sri Lanka’s Waste Management Sector”.
Addressing the gathering, Malin Herwig, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP in Sri Lanka highlighted, “The Republic of Korea is renowned for its world-class solid waste management systems, waste reduction and waste diversion from landfills.Therefore, through this partnership with the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, Sri Lanka will indeed benefit from knowledge exchange and technology transfer in appropriate commercialized municipal solid waste management systems in the local context”.
Through this initiative, UNDP and KEITI have reached out to Korean technology providers and experts to provide valuable input and guidance on the available commercialized municipal solid waste management technologies. The project will support Sri Lanka to meet its MSWM targets of the National Development Agenda and waste sector Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by implementing locally relevant comprehensive and sustainable MSWM solutions.
Mahinda Werahera, Director, of the Environment Pollution Control and Chemical Management Division, Ministry of Environment noted, “Although Municipal Solid Waste Management in Sri Lanka is recognized as a national development priority, finding sustainable solutions for this issue has been extremely challenging. Therefore, through this initiative, we hope to work closely with Korean experts in finding economically feasible and socially acceptable solutions for Municipal Solid Waste Management in Sri Lanka”.
The project aims to reduce health and safety concerns to the people and wildlife, damage to the natural environment, Greenhouse Gas emissions and other forms of pollution, and waste management burden to the LAs. It will also stimulate private sector investment for low carbon development, and engagement of small enterprises in green resource recovery value chains and promote green jobs.
by Saman Indrajith
TheBatalanda Presidential Co-mission report was tabled in Parliament yesterday (14) by the Leader of the House and Transport Minister, Bimal Ratnayake.
Minister Ratnayake announced that the government has decided to forward the report to the Attorney General for legal advice. Additionally, a Presidential Committee will be appointed to provide guidance and recommendations on how to proceed with the findings of the report.
Ratnayake said that the Cabinet-of-Ministers, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has made a policy decision to take necessary action in response to the report. He reassured the public that steps are being taken to ensure that such a dark chapter in the country’s history is never repeated.
Minister Ratnayake said that a two-day debate on the Batalanda Commission report will be scheduled in Parliament at an appropriate time, allowing for a detailed discussion on the report’s findings and recommendations.
The report, which will be printed in all three official languages—Sinhala, Tamil, and English—will be made available to the public in the near future. Ratnayake confirmed that printed copies would be provided to Members of Parliament, as well as the general public, for review.
The Leader of the House revealed that there are 28 evidence volumes associated with the Commission’s work, which will be submitted to Parliament at a later date for further scrutiny.
Ratnayake said that as the entire country is concerned about the findings of the Batalanda Commission, the government’s commitment to addressing the issues raised, and preventing future atrocities, stands clear. The next steps, including legal action and policy recommendations, will be shaped by expert advice and informed parliamentary discussions, he said.
The Parliamentary watchdog Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has found that there were fake documents regarding the importing of medicines under the emergency procurement system in 2022 and 2023.
This was revealed during a COPE meeting held at Parliament probing the transactions of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
NMRA CEO Saveen Semage told the Committee that several fake documents have been found due to the lack of registration of medicines.
Stating that six such fake documents were found last year alone, Saveen Semage said he had recorded statements regarding each of the documents with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division.
He revealed that, however, no investigations have been conducted yet into the incidents.
“We have documents with confessions from a woman accepting that fake documents had been made. However, a statement has not even been recorded from that woman yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, COPE member MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana also revealed that the highest number of waive-off registrations (WOR) for medicines had been obtained in 2022 and 2023.
He said 656 waive-off registrations (WOR) had been obtained in 2022 and 261 in 2023, adding that this proves that discrepancies have taken place during the emergency procurement of medicines during these periods.
Furthermore, Deputy Director General of the Medical Supplies Division of the Health Ministry, Dr. G. Wijesuriya, said discussions are underway on allowing the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) to directly import essential medicines.He pointed out that it was essential to take a policy decision in this regard as a solution to mitigate such discrepancies.
by Norman Palihawadane
Department of Prisons’ Media Spokesperson, Gamini Dissanayake said yesterday that retired Superintendent of the high security Boossa Prison, Siridath Dhammika, who was tragically gunned down at Thalagaha, in Akmeemana, on Thursday (13), had been provided with a firearm for his protection during his tenure, considering the potential threat to his life.
Dissanayake said that during his service period, he had received threats from certain individuals.
Furthermore, the Prison Department stated that during his service, there were no significant issues or shortcomings found in his personal records.
Dissanayake said that the majority of detainees at the Boossa Prison are individuals linked to organized crimes.
Batalanda Commission report tabled … finally
COPE finds fake documents submitted for emergency procurement of drugs
Retired Superintendent of High Security Boossa Prison had threats – Prison Spokesman
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