• by IPS Correspondents (colombo)
• Saturday, December 24, 1994
• Inter Press Service

COLOMBO, Dic 24 (IPS) - HEAPS OF UNSIGHTLY GARBAGE DOT THIS BEAUTIFUL CAPITAL CITY PROVIDING PERIODIC EYESORES AND BREEDING GROUNDS FOR ALL MANNER OF DISEASES.

GREEN PAINTED VEHICLES PROVIDED BY THE MUNICIPALITY AND A BATTALION OF MUNICIPAL GARBAGE COLLECTORS TRUNDLING HANDCARTS DOWN STREETS AND BYLANES HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE WHOPPING 800 TONNES OF GARBAGE COLOMBO PRODUCES EVERYDAY.

MUCH OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE CITY'S BURGEONING POPULATION THAT HAS ALREADY TOUCHED HALF A MILLION. THIS DOES NOT EVEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT COLOMBO'S VAST FLOATING POPULATION.

MOST OF THE GARBAGE GOES TO A LANDFILL IN SUBURBAN WELLAMPITIYA WHICH IS REPORTED TO HAVE REACHED ITS CAPACITY MONTHS AGO.

THE BELEAGUERED URBAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (UDA) HAS NOW COME UP WITH A SCHEME, PART-FUNDED BY THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) TO DISPOSE OFF THE GARBAGE AT MINIMUM COST WITH THE LEAST ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.

THE NEW PLAN ENVISAGES FILLING FUTURE DUMPING SITES WITH A LAYER OF GARBAGE ALTERNATING WITH A LAYER OF EARTH.

SAYS DR. SUMATHI PILAPITAYA WHO IS COORDINATING THE PROJECT UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE METROPOLITAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME (MEIP), "THE SANITARY LAND-FILLED METHOD AS IT IS NOW CALLED IS BEING USED IN SOME DEVELOPED COUNTRIES FOR GARBAGE DISPOSAL."

THE GARBAGE DUMPED AUTOMATICALLY CONVERTS INTO COMPOST AND THE SITE CAN BE USED CONTINUOUSLY, SAYS PILAPITIYA.

THE UDA IS HOPING TO SELL THE COMPOST TO FARMERS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ARTIFICIAL FERTILISER THAT HAS BEEN FOUND INJURIOUS TO HEALTH, SHE SAYS.

THE MEIP WILL IMPORT NEW MACHINES INTO THE COUNTRY TO SORT OUT GARBAGE UNDER THE PROJECT, SHE SAYS. THE GARBAGE WILL BE SEPARATED INTO THE BIO-DEGRADABLE AND NON-DEGRADABLE CATEGORIES.

ONLY THE BIO-DEGRADABLE GARBAGE WILL BE SENT TO THE SANITARY LANDFILL SITES. "THE NON-DEGRADABLE GARBAGE WILL HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER DUMPING GROUND," SAYS A UDA OFFICIAL.

THAT MAY BE EASIER SAID THAN DONE, SAY ENVIRONMENTALISTS. THE GROWING POPULATION HAS LEFT VERY LITTLE SPACE FOR GARBAGE DUMPING SITES.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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