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by Florence Wickramage

The Environment Protection Programme launched by the Ministry of Environment has been given top priority in the 100 days programme.

Pollution of the environment in and around National Parks, Nature Reserves, Strict Nature Reserves, Rivers and Waterfalls etc. should be viewed with serious concern and taking in polythene bags into places like the National Zoological Gardens should be banned, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Rukman Senanayake said recently.

The Minister briefing the media about the Ministry's 100 days programme, directed officials of the departments under the Ministry to take steps to educate visitors to nature reserves about the dangers caused to animals exposed to the polythene menace.

Meanwhile, the Environment Pollution Management Unit of the Ministry has drawn up "The Clean Rivers Project" programme commencing with the Kelani River. Under this programme, exhibition boards will be erected at 12 places identified around the Kelani River which will provide information and data about the water standard of the river etc. Water at the identified spots will be studied and researched every two weeks and data will be supplied. The Ministry hopes that such information will be of immense use to school children who undertake nature projects in schools.

The Environment Pollution Management Unit has launched a series of programmes to prevent pollutants from commercial establishments around the Kelani River polluting the environment and the river waters.

The Environment Ministry's "Clean Rivers Project" has been undertaken in collaboration with the Western Provincial Council, the Central Environment Authority, Local Government Departments and other state organisations.



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