Environmental Foundation (Guarantee) Limited filed a Fundamental Rights application in the Supreme Court (SC (Ref) No. 243/2017 pending support) objecting to the illegal disposal of solid waste in the Muthurajawela sanctuary, the Kotikawatta Garbage Disposal Site and several other locations, on the 14th of July 2017. The respondents for the case include, among others, the Central Environmental Authority, the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Governments, Colombo Municipal Council and Urban Development Authority. The grievances highlighted in the petition include
A respite from Colombo’s urban sprawl is often found in an intricate network of urban wetlands across the city. While wetlands regulate temperature, reduce the impact of floods and sequester carbon, these urban ecosystems are frequently and recklessly allotted for the purpose of garbage disposal, with one of South Asia’s largest garbage dumps situated in the Boralesgamuwa wetland. Even designated Ramsar Sites are not exempt, with a recommendation to establish a 5 acre site in Muthurajawela, in the Wattala Divisional
EFL launched a series of workshops on urban wetlands for schoolchildren in the Colombo District on the 9th of February. The event was held in partnership with the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (SLLRDC) at the Biodiversity Study Park in Thalawathugoda. Over a hundred students from ages 14-17 representing 8 national and provincial schools in the proximity of urban wetlands were present at the launch. The workshops enabled students to get a firsthand experience of urban wetlands in the
EFL was informed that an area of 25 acres in the wetlands of Boralesgamuwa – Borupana was being used as an open pit for the karadiyana garbage dump. The land used as a garbage dump is adjacent to the Weras Ganga, which flows into Bolgoda Lake. The site currently utilized by the Moratuwa Municipal Council, Mount Lavinia – Dehiwala Municipal Council, Sri Jayawardanepura Kotte Municipal Council, Maharagama Urban Council, Panadura Urban Council, Kesbewa Urban Council and Boralegamuwa Urban Council. It is managed by the Western
