Mount Lavinia beach clean-up this Sunday

• In celebration of Earth Day 2018 – ‘End Plastic Pollution’

On 22 April each year the celebration of Earth Day is marked and the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. It is celebrated by millions of people every year; and each year is governed by a theme that allows related action to be taken for environmental protection and provokes policy changes. And as the evidence for climate change becomes stronger each day the fight for a clean environment continues with increasing urgency.

In celebration of Earth Day 2018, Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) of the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, in collaboration with SLYCAN Trust, TNL Radio, Roads to Rights and Mount Lavinia Hotel is organising a beach clean-up at the Mount Lavinia beach; with the objectives of addressing and preventing the widespread pollution of Sri Lanka’s coastal areas due to the mismanagement of waste and improper garbage disposal practices and to actively engage various stakeholders from government institutions to university undergraduates, to take action against pollution of the coastal areas and to contribute towards the sustainable disposal of garbage and plastic waste.

Government officials of the ministry, the coast guard, representatives of local civil society organisations, university undergraduates as well as volunteers from youth movements will be coming together on 22 April at 7 a.m. to participate in this event.

The participants will also be signing the clean seas pledge, which is a campaign carried out by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), thereby actively making a commitment through government and non-governmental organisations to work towards plastic-free communities and marine environments.

For further information on the event, please contact Amayaa Wijesinghe on: 0773426535.