COPE meets online to discusses environment audit report on Kelani River pollution

 A COPE Committee meeting headed by COPE Chairman Charitha Herath

• Officials join COPE meeting via Zoom 
• Committee instructs that steps be taken to prevent further pollution of the Kelani River
• Close to 3,000 industries along the Kelani River, of which 41 operate without environmental licenses

The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) on Thursday instructed the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Water Supply, the Ministry of Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government to work together to set up a mechanism to prevent further pollution of the Kelani River.

The Committee gave the instructions after it took up for discussion the environmental Audit Report compiled by the Auditor General on water pollution of the Kelani River, COPE Chairman Charitha Herath said.

The COPE meeting was held online, the first time such technology was used for one of its meetings.

Secretary to the Ministry of Health Dr. H.S. Munasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Industries W.A. Chulananda Perera and the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government J.J. Ratnasiri joined the meeting online through Zoom.

During the meeting, COPE was informed that the Kelani River has become highly polluted due to unauthorised constructions, unlicensed factories, restaurants and hotels.

There are 2,946 industries along the Kelani River, out of which 41 industries are without environmental licenses; 205 licenses have been suspended and out of these, 17 industries are high-risk industries, the COPE Chairman said. Therefore, COPE stressed the need to take immediate action in this regard.

COPE focused on the efficiency of the Wastewater Treatment Plant at the Seethawaka Export Planning Zone and revealed that the treatment taking place was above the capacity. However, officials from the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) said measures were already taken to increase the capacity. Attention was also drawn to the importance of removing unauthorised structures on both sides of the Kelani River.  SJB MP S.M. Marikkar pointed out that due to these unauthorised constructions, sewage is discharged into the river and the water is polluted. COPE noted the need to rectify the situation as soon as possible as it is difficult to remove the structures at once.

It was also revealed before COPE that several hotels and restaurants operating along the Kelani River are under construction and have not obtained environmental protection permits. For example, in the Kitulgala area near the Kelani River, a restaurant has been operating without an environmental protection license for 18 years. COPE recommended to take immediate action in this regard. COPE also focused on the disposal of solid waste in the Seethawaka region and the need to investigate groundwater in the area. COPE recommended that an immediate report on groundwater cleanliness be made. 

State Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Members of Parliament Eran Wickramaratne, Jagath Pushpakumara, Premnath. C. Dolawatte and S. M. Marikkar were present at the meeting.