For centuries, Sri Lanka has taken pride in her natural water resources. Rivers and waterfalls, in addition to the sea that surrounds the island nation, were the main attractions not only to the locals but to nature lovers across the globe for decades.
While citizens of many other countries in South Asia and Asia have been struggling to access clean water for their day-to-day consumption, for many Sri Lankans, the dawn of a day where there would be no access to potable water, was simply unimaginable.
However, alarming findings of a recent study conducted by the Central Environment Authority (CEA) indicates that such a day is not too far away.
According to the study, a staggering 10,377 sources have been identified as contaminating, at least 40 rivers in the island. It has also identified 60 places as erosion sites, 55 illegal sand and gem mining sites, and 31 landfills for urban waste that pollute the river system.
The number of sources polluting river water and river banks has nearly 10 garbage disposal sites on the banks.
It was also mentioned that some of the water in rivers were always discoloured due to illegal sand mining in their upper reaches and the situation had become very serious with the aggravation of the drinking water problem of the people in the area.
Plans are underway to implement a number of programmes for the conservation of these rivers.
Today, the 103 rivers across the country are threatened, due to different types of human activities that adversely affect river systems including sand mining at some places along the Kelani River and Deduru Oya, although it is banned by the judiciary. Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera noted that sand and gem mining along rivers is one of the menaces they have to deal with when attending to river conservation.
Secretary to the Environment Ministry Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that most of these rivers start from the central hills and flow into the sea. Even though these rivers perform a useful task in maintaining natural water cycle as well as environmental processes, it has revealed that release of wastewater into rivers violating the standards stipulated by the CEA has increased. These rivers, while providing habits for different types of plants and animals, maintain a high degree of biodiversity. These beautiful wetland ecosystems serve the needs of the public in sectors such as agriculture, hydropower, irrigation and tourism.
CEA has identified the main activities that pollute the river systems as discharge of industrial effluents, disposal of human waste, domestic waste, soil erosion, disposal of other wastewater, urban waste disposal, electronic, hazardous and chemical waste disposal, sludge disposal, clinical waste disposal, filling of river banks, mining in the river and areas related to river, invasive aquatic plants, contaminating sea water, unplanned illegal constructions, river bank erosion, washing-out of sand and soil, extraction of water from the rivers, utilising water by river blocking and invasion of river banks.
Briefing on the matter CEA Director General Hemantha Jayasinghe stated that through their investigations, Mahaweli Ganga, Kelani Ganga and Kalu Ganga were the three rivers that were mainly polluted.
The CEA has conducted a rapid field observations to identify unauthorised disposal of waste within the perimeters of 500 meters of both sides of the entire 103 rivers, and this data would be useful in making the river conservation successful through enforcement of the law.
CEA Director General Hemantha Jayasinghe noted that based on the data of this survey, reports have been compiled on district basis as well as on river system basis. The Project Preparing Committee has recommended scientific analysis of this report by a committee of scholars and form late short-term, middle term and long-term plans.
Further, he noted that this step would help in maintaining the environmental equality in areas related to these rivers as well as in guaranteeing the conservation of these river systems. The conservation plans of rivers would be launched after receiving a proper plan from the analysing committee.
The domestic wastewater and sewage is the main source of water pollution. This is the inevitable and unfortunate fallout of urbanisation. This organic waste depletes oxygen in water and upsets the natural balance of the aquatic ecosystem.
Sri Lanka has, in general, a limited supply of water and the quality of this water is being threatened with pollution and the destruction of river catchments. Water is a vital resource and it is up to all Sri Lankans to act responsibly and look after the available water resources to ensure that this limited supply is usable by all life on earth. It is very important that everyone becomes wise enough to protect the quality and the balance of water.
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