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Degree of concern as Sabaragamuwa Uni’s waste pollutes Surathali Ella
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An eye sore: Garbage from Sabaragamuwa University being dumped in area close to the ppular Surathali Ella
By Senuka Jayakody
The Environment Ministry is proposing waste disposal licence regulations to prevent Lanka’s scenic waterfalls from becoming garbage dumps.
The move follows reports that garbage from Sabaragamuwa University is being dumped near Surathali Ella, a Ratnapura District waterfall that is popular among local tourists. The new regulations will come under the Central Environment Authority, a senior official said.
Residents say illegal waste disposal is taking place not only in the Surathali Ella area but also in surrounding areas close to the Thambuttenna temple and the Nanperial Estate. They directed their allegations at the Imbulpe Pradeshiya Sabha.
The Samanalawewa Police recently arrested a lorry driver and his employer, who has obtained the contract to dispose of the university waste, after they were seen dumping garbage near the waterfall. They were produced in court on December 19 and granted bail.
Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe told the Sunday Times the problem was not confied existed elsewhere as well, highlighting the environmental pollution in the tourist hotspot of Ella, where waste disposal mismanagement was unsatisfactory despite a large presence of foreign tourists.
“Rubbish is mostly discarded by local tourists. Foreign tourists detest it. If this situation continues, we may take legal action against the Ella Pradeshiya Sabha,” he said.
The secretary also drew attention to the problem of disposing of hospital waste.
Dr. Jasinghe said hospital waste was disposed of haphazardly and blamed the local councils for not taking prompt action against such illegal practices. If the local council had acted no sooner garbage was dumped in an unauthorised place, the problem would not have become acute.
When asked about the Surathali Ella area pollution, he said the ministry had come to know of the crime through social media and immediately informed the Police to take action. 
“Such actions are harmful to flora and fauna since heavy metals and other unfavorable substances leach into the soil. It ruins the natural beauty as well,” Dr. Jasinghe said.
“This is also a health issue since local tourists use the place for leisure activities. Our people use such wayside water spots to have a bath,” he added.
The secretary also held the University of Sabaragamuwa authorities responsible for polluting the Surathali Ella area.
The university authorities should have fired the contractor the moment they came to know about the illegal dumping. Instead, they are waiting for the contract to expire on December 31, Dr. Jasinghe said.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Udaya Ratnayake said, “We did not terminate the contract since only about a week is left now and if we cancel it now, waste disposal of the University would become a problem.”
He said the university had already selected a new contractor after calling for fresh bids. He also said a decision to file an action or blacklist the contractor would be taken later.
Prof. Ratnayake said the university in consultation with the area Public Health Inspector would take measures to segregate waste into biodegradable and non-biodegradable while moves were also underway to convert biodegradable waste into animal feed.
Non-biodegradable waste would be handed over to the new contractor, who should dispose of it in an environmentally-friendly way in a location outside the university with the local council’s permission, the VC said, pointing out that this was the first time in its 27-year history a complaint of this nature had been directed at the university. The Central Environment Authority Director General, P. B. Hemantha, said that due to the haphazard dumping of garbage, the nearby streams would become polluted, especially during the rainy season, and this would cause health issues for those who bathe in them.
Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle Convener Supun Lahiru Prakash said the disposal of waste into rivers was one of the main reasons for Sri Lanka being ranked among the top five countries for marine pollution.
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