Sri Lankan and Singapore universities collaborate in Clean Kandy City project
View(s):Two universities in Sri Lanka and Singapore recently collaborated on a project to manage waste in the hill country capital of Kandy.
“Production of waste and sewage often accompany the quick growth of a city. If not managed properly, the city’s sustainability and its people’s wellbeing may be compromised. The same applies for Kandy City,” the promoters of the project said in a statement to the media.
The new sewage treatment plant at the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the floating wetlands at Kandy Lake, and the Wetland Education Centre at the Mahamaya Girls’ College all share the same aspiration: a clean, beautiful, and sustainable Kandy City. They are the main components of the collaborative project between the Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya, and the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, the two organisations said.
The project aims to initiate long-term solutions for the pollution in Kandy Lake that is management of waste water at source, as well as training and education.
More than 20 staff and students of the University of Peradeniya were involved in the project, in addition to local authorities, such as the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, the Central Environment Authority, and the Kandy Municipal Council. The treatment plant at the Dalada Maligawa ensures that sewage from the kitchens and toilets in the Temple compounds are sufficiently treated before disposal, hence keeping the lake clean. In the meantime, the floating wetlands act as a protective barrier by taking up excess nutrients in the lake and aiding in sedimentation of suspended particles.
For long-term sustainability, the Wetland Education Centre at the Mahamaya Girls’ College pioneers involvement of the young generation in environmental management, through education. On 10th July 2014, all three facilities were handed over by the project coordinator, the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Peradeniya, to the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Kandy Regional Office of the Irrigation Department, and the Mahamaya Girls’ College respectively. The event was held at the University of Peradeniya and organised jointly by the Faculty of Engineering and the International Research Centre. The event was attended by officials from all supporting institutions, where the stakeholders presented their view on the project and how the project implementation has affected them. The Chief Guest for the Event was Prof. Ng Wun Jern, Dean College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya Prof. Atula Senaratne, Dean of Faculty of Engineering Prof. Leelananda Rajapaksha and Dean of the Faculty of Science Prof. Anura Wickramasinghe also graced the occasion.