Cesspools of disease
BY Lankesh Gooneratne-2016-01-10
A few of us from Ceylon Today fanned out in search of the lakes and canals trellising the city of Colombo and discovered that if several night spots in Colombo were hotbeds of corruption, the lakes and canals were a collective epitome of pollution, disease and lurking death to anyone who used their waters for drinking or cooking.
This network of canals and minor lakes are possibly fed by the Diyawanna Oya. A water chemistry and bacteriology analyses by experts will prove the criminal extent to which the authorities continue to ignore these festering health hazards which have been given a facelift to beautify the city but that does not detract from the fact that the facelift has done nothing to change the fact that they remain a blemish that threatens the lives of Colombo's residents and even the daily worker migrant hordes which are disgorged in Colombo by every bus and train that comes from sub-urban and rural areas. Of particularly disgusting appearance are the waters of the Wellawatte canal which flow into the sea carrying with them every imaginable form of filth, human and animal waste included, and depositing some of it on the beach. Its been over two decades since tourist abandoned any inclination to take a stroll down this stretch of beach. In contrast, it gives way to Mount Lavinia's "Golden Mile' that's been something of a boon in tourism. Shanty populations living along the length of this canal use it for excreting body waste which unleash bacterial life forms which are huge dangers to health. Those who beautified the city's waterways would have done well to ensure that they were also made safe for the massive human habitations surrounding them.
Maintaining the water bodies in Nawala, Kirulapone, Sebastian Mawatha and the Diyawanna comes under the purview of the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and its Subject Minister Champika Ranawaka. The Ministry is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining, managing and cleaning up the water sources throughout the city and the Western Province. However, what we saw for ourselves was the exact opposite.
The water bodies were so polluted that they could not be used for any purpose.
The water bodies were so polluted that they could not be used for any purpose.
Ceylon Today spoke to a few people attached to the Civil Security Department who did not want their names revealed.
The situation
What we discovered was that these water resources are not being maintained because there is no a proper communication between the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation & Development Corporation (SLLRDC), the Environment Police and the Sri Lanka Navy.
We also discovered that the Sri Lanka Navy is implementing a programme to maintain this lake and rid it of all its pollution.
There were a few naval craft flitting across the waters too..
However, a Civil Security Department source said that the Sri Lanka Navy's mission had just begun and they are trying their best to sustain the lakes but support from the SLLRDC, Urban Development Authority and the Police was inadequate for this purpose is not enough to maintain the lake.
The Sri Lanka Navy cannot do this on its own without the support of the rest but they are trying their best, the Civil Security Department source said.
The situation
What we discovered was that these water resources are not being maintained because there is no a proper communication between the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation & Development Corporation (SLLRDC), the Environment Police and the Sri Lanka Navy.
We also discovered that the Sri Lanka Navy is implementing a programme to maintain this lake and rid it of all its pollution.
There were a few naval craft flitting across the waters too..
However, a Civil Security Department source said that the Sri Lanka Navy's mission had just begun and they are trying their best to sustain the lakes but support from the SLLRDC, Urban Development Authority and the Police was inadequate for this purpose is not enough to maintain the lake.
The Sri Lanka Navy cannot do this on its own without the support of the rest but they are trying their best, the Civil Security Department source said.
The level of pollution in these lakes is such that there is not a single safe source for drinking water.
These waters are known to have caused body rashes on those who bathe in it. Those living close to these polluted waters have been warned to desist from using those waters for any purpose. Dead fish and other water creatures can be found floating across the entire length and breadth of these lakes and canals.
Dredging machines used to clean up the lake are not being used because they are old and worn out. The Navy is expecting the government to provide new machines to dredge and clean up the lakes and canals because their main objective is to rid them of all pollution.
These waters are known to have caused body rashes on those who bathe in it. Those living close to these polluted waters have been warned to desist from using those waters for any purpose. Dead fish and other water creatures can be found floating across the entire length and breadth of these lakes and canals.
Dredging machines used to clean up the lake are not being used because they are old and worn out. The Navy is expecting the government to provide new machines to dredge and clean up the lakes and canals because their main objective is to rid them of all pollution.
Attention
The lakes come under the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Province Development but according to Civil Security Department officials, the Ministry is oblivious to the need to rid the waterways of all pollution and other health hazards.
They however did say that the lakes were neglected more after the new government was elected.
Abutting this lake are wide expanses of land said to be owned by the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake. Tree trunks and plants removed from this land have been dumped into the river. The land however lies bare, cleared out and sans any polluting matter.
The lakes come under the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Province Development but according to Civil Security Department officials, the Ministry is oblivious to the need to rid the waterways of all pollution and other health hazards.
They however did say that the lakes were neglected more after the new government was elected.
Abutting this lake are wide expanses of land said to be owned by the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake. Tree trunks and plants removed from this land have been dumped into the river. The land however lies bare, cleared out and sans any polluting matter.
As officials point out this could be a major problem in the future because the polluted water enters the sea and the Diyawanna Oya. which is now being utilized for many urban projects. We were also told that the Navy and the Environment Police had informed the Environment Ministry about this state of affairs but received no response.
It was however said that the Diyawanna Oya was being maintained comparatively better than the others because it is in an upper middle class residential area. But this too was only as far as its appearance was concerned and not where purity of its water was concerned.
The reason for the pollution is that there are several factories in the area which have pipelines and drainage systems disgorging waste and chemicals into the lake.
We were also told that the SLLRDC had surveyed the lake for further development but had not yet formulated a programme to dredge the lake.
We were also told that the SLLRDC had surveyed the lake for further development but had not yet formulated a programme to dredge the lake.
Observation
When we surveyed the area we found that the lake is connected to the canal that flows through Wellawatte into the sea. As for the Diyawanna Oya we found that the Navy has played a major role in maintaining it at least superficially but are not adequately staffed to carry out any water cleansing or management programme.
When we surveyed the area we found that the lake is connected to the canal that flows through Wellawatte into the sea. As for the Diyawanna Oya we found that the Navy has played a major role in maintaining it at least superficially but are not adequately staffed to carry out any water cleansing or management programme.
We also noticed that there were many canals connected to the lake while some areas of the lake had large chunks of garbage floating around. One official observed that it was up to the government to take timely action to carry out a major dredging of the lake to ensure that the rainy season overflow is minimized to preempt health issues and a flood threat.
While the SL Navy plays a major role in this area, it is up to the subject ministers and their deputies to ensure that something meaningful is done to put in place a permanent methodology to deal with waste dumping, dredging and overflow management, if they are serious about delivering to the thousands of families living in the lake's immediate vicinity their basic human rights to a clean, healthy and disease free ambience.
Pic by Dumindu Wanigasekar
While the SL Navy plays a major role in this area, it is up to the subject ministers and their deputies to ensure that something meaningful is done to put in place a permanent methodology to deal with waste dumping, dredging and overflow management, if they are serious about delivering to the thousands of families living in the lake's immediate vicinity their basic human rights to a clean, healthy and disease free ambience.
Pic by Dumindu Wanigasekar
