Environmental permits to be suspended:

Minister warns errant hospitals

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The Environment and Natural Resources Ministry will suspend Environmental Protection Permits issued for hospitals that release hospital waste water into the environment. This is in keeping with a decision taken by Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka.

Minister Ranawaka said they will suspend permits issued to hospitals that discharge their effluents and environmentally harmful microbiological and chemical substances from next month.

The decision was taken to prevent pollution of water resources and risks to human health, the Minister explained.

"Most hospitals usually dump or discharge their waste into garbage dumps such as the landfill space at Bloemendhal, combined with chemical and organic pollutants. This leads to contamination of ground water," he said.

"The Environment Ministry has taken decisive steps to minimize environmental pollution by irregular waste dumping by introducing the Pilisaru, the National Waste Management Project."

"We have started projects to manage urban waste and to minimize household waste as well," he said.

Commenting on the municipal waste problem in Colombo and other cities, Ranawaka said the garbage issue has manifested as a result of the Municipal Councils relying on private companies to dispose garbage after signing contracts with the companies.

The Government has initiated action to address the issue of waste disposal issued on a sustainable footing.

He said action has been taken to take over the control of four of the five Sri Lanka's biggest garbage mountains in Bloemendhal, Kolonnawa, Werehara-Karadiyana, Kalutara-Pohorawatta and Kandy- Gohagoda in keeping with a Cabinet decision to place them under the Urban Development Authority.

Moves are under way to introduce organic fertilizer projects utilizing them, he added.