Poor rate of garbage collection

Disna MUDALIGE

The daily garbage collection in the country only amounts to 2,819 tons whereas 6,720 tons of garbage is generated daily, data of the Pilisaru Solid Waste Management National Project of the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) revealed.

The daily garbage collection from the Western Province is 1,662 tons.

As a percentage, this is about 60 percent. The next highest daily garbage collection is reported from the Central Province.

This is 229 tons. About 55 to 60 percent of the garbage collected consists of biodegradable parts where as about five percent consists of long-term biodegradable parts. According to data, the per capita solid waste generation in Sri Lanka is 0.4 kgs. This amounts to 2.25 kgs in the USA and one kg in the UK. This is only 0.3kgs in India.

The per capita solid waste generation in the Colombo Municipal Council alone amounts to 0.80 kgs. The CEA under the Pilisaru Project has come forward to find a sustainable solution to the garbage problem by implementing a national policy.

Large scale compost plant complexes have been constructed in Hikkaduwa, Kolonnawa, Medirigiriya, Anuradhapura and Kalutara. Four sanitary landfill sites are also to be constructed in Udu Nuwara, Hikkaduwa, Anuradhapura and Panadura shortly.