‘Eco-balance needed when developing country’

Priyanka Kurugala

When development programmes are implemented, care should be taken to conserve and protect the environmental balance, Technology and Research Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said.

She was addressing the seminar “Environmental Friendly Production: The way to sustenance of the Industrial Sector”. The seminar was organized by the Enhancing Environmental Performance of key Sri Lankan Export Sectors (EEPEX) project.

“Attention was paid to protect the environment under the Mahinda Chinthana future vision. A ten year programme called Greenery Sri Lanka was introduced to protect environmental balance,” she said.

“Sri Lankans have the strength to face challenges. Events such as this seminar will help reach common conscience,” she said.

“Ancient people had known how to manage the environment. If they plucked a flower from a branch of a tree, they did not hurt or cut the tree branch. They allowed the blossoming of another flower in that branch again,” she said.

The EEPEX project is implemented to sustain the field of export in Sri Lanka and is directed towards technology. It encourages enterprises related to environment.

This project is implemented targeting fields such as ceramic, rubber, plastic, coconut based products, leather, shoes, hotel and allied services, construction, packing. The project commenced in 2009 is implemented by the Industrial Technology Institute.

Technology and Research Ministry Secretary Dhara Wijayathilake, Industrial Technology Institute Chairman Prof Vijaya Kumar, Director A M Mubarak and EEPEX Project Director H S Premachandra also participated.