Pollution, environmental damage costs Rs 10,201 million

Unsustainable development takes toll:

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

The total cost of environmental damage from various aspects in Sri Lanka stands at Rs 10,201 million which is 2.4 percent of the country’s Gross National Product. Speaking at the inauguration of annual convention of Institute of Environmental Professionals, (IEPSL) Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawake said the damage caused by urban and industrial pollution, water pollution and waste disposal stood at Rs 2,865 million. The forest and land degradation and coastal damage has been estimated as Rs 5,518 million.

The Minister said the transport sector in Sri Lanka does the biggest damage to the environment through vehicular emissions.

The number of vehicles entering the Colombo city today is 362,000 per day compared to only 80,000 per day in 1980. Due to the open market economy, the active vehicular stock which was 109,520 in 1970 has increased to 1,438,910 in 2005 without the concurrent improvement of the road network. Ranawaka said the extent of environmental damage to the country as of today is immense, and corrective action is needed immediately to prevent them deteriorating further to a point of no return and to preserve the environment in a sustainable manner for the use of posterity.

“Much of the development activities has now become unsustainable and as such it will lead to grave environmental damage that will halt country’s development process,” he said. He said the commitment and the role of IEPSL as the umbrella organization is very important to reduce these damages.