Eminent experts to volunteer implement project:

CCI introduces sustainable municipal waste management system

RAMANI Kangaraarachchi

THE Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) has stepped into implement a sustainable solution to the garbage disposal problem, is a burning issue in the country.

CEO of the Chamber, Dakshitha Talgodapitiya said that the CCI is concerned about this corporate social responsibility and has appointed a very professional committee to prepare a project proposal.

Dr. Naresh Handagama, attached to Tennessee Valley Authority, USA has volunteered to assist this project and come to Sri Lanka at his own expense on the request of the Chamber recently, Talgodapitiya said.

The team led by Dr Handagama has proposed a multi-pronged holistic and scientific approach for the formulation of a sustainable and environmentally responsible Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Management Programme and produce high quality fertiliser for Sri Lanka.

His team consists of engineers and scientists including M.K.D. Abeypala, former GM of the River Valley Department who was in municipal and environmental engineering in UK over 20 years and former head of Chemical Engineering Department at Moratuwa University, Engineer Anul Perera. Several discussions have been already made with the Minister of Science and Technology Tissa Vitharana to make this project a success.

The current open dumping has led to an increased environment degradation and further complicated public health problems.

Inability to collect garbage on time has made this situation worse. Therefore deploying appropriate technologies and eliminating all uncontrolled open land dumping of waste is one of the main objectives of this project.

Dr Handagama said that there are several methods in solid waste disposal such as land fills, incineration, and composting.

The best method will be used for each category as per the scientific analysis since concentrating on one technology had been one of the reasons for failure in Colombo, which only uses static-composting and unplanned- non engineered land fills.

Under the proposed system, the garbage will be collected by the municipality and will be sorted and recycled at the site.

The medical waste will go to the incinerator, organic waste will be shredded and digested using Delta D"" liquid patented by Anul Perera which digests organic waste within 4 to 20 hours in a closed system without taking much space.

The compost will be blended with Eppawela apatite rock phosphate at the same place producing highly enriched fertiliser for farmers which will not only save foreign exchange but also prevent environmental impact due to excess usage of urea for long periods.

The project planning will be done with the latest technologies at TVA and the Department of Chemical Engineering, (Green Engineering" at UTK.

The Town and country planning, chemical and process engineering and civil engineering departments of the Moratuwa University will be actively involved in the project.

The initial project will be used as a model and also for bench marking. An educational programme will be formulated and implemented for training skilled technicians and operators.