World Water Day today:

CEA urges private sector to go green

Charitha Herath - Central Environment Authority Chairman

Twenty percent of the global population lacks access to safe drinking water, while almost half the population does not have proper sanitation. The reason behind this is clear: We are to blame. Polluted water is on the rise and worldwide estimations indicate that polluted water could possibly affect the health of around 1,200 million people and even lead to the deaths of 15 million children under the age of five, annually.

Honing closer to home and taking a look at the level of water pollution in Asia; research shows that Asian rivers are the most polluted in the world. Figures indicate that our rivers contain 20 times more lead than rivers in industrialized countries. The situation is indeed grave.

As part of its mandate for this year, the Central Environmental Authority has accelerated its work and is keen to engage every possible stakeholder towards making our nation more ‘environmentally aware’. Commenting on this, Charitha Herath, the Central Environmental Authority’s Chairman said, “It’s important that we all take an active interest towards the conservation of water, as well as the rest of the environment.

“With regards to water, the private sector plays a huge role. Everyone pollutes the planet, but we must take a step back, evaluate and change our ways accordingly. Likewise, it is paramount that each and every company does this, evaluating how much they give back to the environment and how much they destroy it.”

The CEA this year, will take on a more active role towards educating a large cross section of businesses, ranging from small-scale, home industries to large BOI projects focusing on regulating their levels of pollution, control measures that can be enforced to cut down on pollution levels as well as the usage of modern technology to solve water pollution issues.

Waste-water treatment plant

Speaking on private sector involvement towards the conservation of water, Herath spoke of certain companies that went over their call of duty and made consistent, untiring efforts to ensure that they kept their pollution levels at a zero.

Using an example Herath spoke of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka and the waste-water treatment plant they upgraded recently. He praised the company’s efforts to mitigate the pollution of water and went on to say that “the standard of the Coca-Cola waste water treatment plant goes beyond the statutory requirement by the CEA. It is the best I have seen in Sri Lanka and just might be the best in the region”. This kind of project, Herath said, was a prime example of giving back to the environment.

Coca-Cola as a global policy gives back 99 percent of the water (post treatment) they utilise in the production process. Examples such as these must be followed, he said, and was commendable - as such companies take on the responsibility of enforcing pollution control measures which at this point in time, were vital.

While recognizing those companies that looked into pollution control levels and carried out programs to fit basic CEA requirements, Herath pointed out this was inadequate. “Water conservation is not merely a rule that must be followed. It is over and above that. Cliched or not, it is crucial that we do whatever it takes to ensure that we leave the planet in the best condition possible for our children and their children.”

Green-friendly practices

As part of the CEA’s initiative to promote more green-friendly practices, the Authority recently introduced the National Green Awards 2011 which will be held on June 5, 2011 - World Environment Day. The awards will recognize industries for environmentally friendly production processes implemented and will be awarded across a number of categories.

“It’s heartening to see more and more people becoming aware of environmental conservation. While most countries have strict green economic policies in place, here, in Sri Lanka too, we see a few taking the initiative. CEA will take the lead role in the transition of businesses into ‘green’ businesses, but we will need everyone’s commitment towards this goal,” reiterated Herath.

It is easy to forget that all the natural resources we use are limited - they are not. The oceans might take up 70 percent of the space on the planet, but that does not mean it can be turned into a dumping ground.

Countless oil spills, garbage and sewage have affected our oceans, killing marine life and polluting the waters. Likewise, it is important to ensure that whatever processes you implement at your workplace - they must be environmentally friendly, they must mitigate the affect it makes on the planet and you must not pollute, while you profit.