New waste management strategy approved by Government

Cabinet on Tuesday approved a number of measures proposed by Megapolis and Western Development Minister Champika Ranawaka to address the solid waste management crisis in the country. 

The Government yesterday announced that the Ministry would take steps to stabilise the disturbed landfill at Meethotamulla within five months with plans to “develop the area as an urban forest”. 

According to the Minister’s proposal, 1,300 MT waste will be added daily in 2030 with the implementation of the Megapolis Master Plan and Port City Project. To manage the situation effectively, the Minister has proposed to vest powers with the Central Environmental Authority to grant environmental approvals. 

The Minister has presented a number of steps to address the issue, including encouraging the public to dispose segregated waste and to transport only segregated waste to designated centres and start waste disposal and processing centres owned by Local Government authorities in areas in which more than 50,000 families reside.

Ranawaka also proposes to commence a project to generate electricity from waste, obtain propjet proposals from overseas countries through their foreign missions regarding the Waste Disposal Project in Aruwakkaru, Puttalam and transfer the land required for construction of a transfer station at Kelaniya from the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC) to the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development.