EFL concluded Phase III of the Kelani River Water Quality Restoration Programme, which was funded by The Asia Foundation. The project was EFL’s latest intervention to restore the deteriorating water quality of Sri Lanka’s most polluted river, which supplies 80% of water to Greater Colombo. Factory waste from industrial zones, as well as garbage dumping by riverine communities, has degraded river ecosystems which is turn support livelihoods and provide crucial ecosystem services. In this phase, EFL extended its awareness raising efforts
Originating in the Sri Pada mountain range, the Kelani River threads its way through the most densely populated and industrialized parts of the Western Province, and flows through the capital city to reach the Indian Ocean. From fisheries to hydropower, the Kelani River is of vital economic importance as it is not only a source of water for the myriad of factories and industries that occupy its banks but is also used by these industries as a dumping ground for