Opportunity Overview

A project for establishing a centre for disposing waste in a proper manner and a plant for generating electricity power using bio-gas produced from waste, in Matara, Kotawila area, had been planned concurrent to the Deyata Kirula 2015, the National Development Exhibition. With the suspension of the Deyata Kirula, the National Development Exhibition, the project activities too came to a standstill. Therefore, the proposal made by H.E the president Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to implement the suspended Waste Management Project, expeditiously, for the purpose of solving the irregular waste disposal problem of Matara Municipal Council and the areas under the purview of the Matara Pradeshiya Sabha,with the assistance of the private sector, was approved by the Cabinet.

Action is being taken to commence the work of the second stage in respect of the Solid Waste Management Projects, undertaken at Kuliyapitiya Urban Council, Nawalapitiya Urban Council, Badulla Municipal Council and Matara Municipal Council by the National Solid Waste Management centre with the funds provided under “Pilisaru” projects of the Central Environmental Authority. Kuliyapitiya Urban Council

Scope of Work

Solid waste in this context covers household wastes, commercial wastes, market wastes, institutional and certain industrial wastes as well as waste produced in public places owned by the Local Authorities . The Scope of the Pilisaru Project generally encompasses the following key activities

i. Collection of information on disposal of solid waste by Local Authorities  Information on current waste disposal methods, projects and programmes abandoned by Local Authorities  and the resources available is collected for planning purposes. In the process of collecting data the assistance of the Divisional Environmental Officers (DEOs) of the CEA is obtained through the network of the CEA‟s Provincial and District Offices.

ii. Evaluation of Project proposals Evaluation of Proposals put forward by Local Authorities  is carried out and necessary assistance provided to implement them on the ground. An evaluation procedure is formulated and assistance is sought from various technical experts for the successful implementation of the proposals.

iii. Establishment of Waste Recycling Banking System The Pilisaru Project negotiates with the SANASA Development Bank with regard to the possibility of implementing a waste banking system. The Bank collects the recyclable waste, particularly the Local Authorities tics and polythene from the account holders and an amount equal to the value of the waste handed over is credited in the account of the account holder. The collected waste is sold by the Bank to recyclers regularly to recover the money paid to the account holders with a nominal profit to cover the bank expenses. In fact, this is an innovative approach introduced by the Pilisaru Project with the „SANASA Bank‟

iv. Establishment of Compost plants at Local Authority level. In an effort to find a scientifically acceptable and reasonable solution for the problem of haphazard dumping of solid waste in open lands and water bodies, Pilisaru project takes an initiative to assist the establishment of a composting plants and an environmentally safe waste disposal facility with appropriate technologies utilizing the expert knowledge of members of the technical committee established under the National Committee on Solid Waste Management

v. Construction of low cost sanitary landfills for disposing residual waste. Sanitary landfill site is a location designed for the final disposal of waste in an environmentally sound manner. The design includes controlling of leakage and gas, daily cover for the working surface of waste, runoff and run on diversions, which would result in decreasing the potential of surface and ground water pollution. The Pilisaru Project plans to establish a number of sanitary landfills in such a way that the Local Authorities can make use of them to dispose residual wastes on a cluster system

vi. Promoting Home Composting Household composting usually involves relatively small volumes of organic materials generated from the kitchen and garden. Using a bin or pit helps to retain the heat and moisture that would be lost in a small, open pile. A container also has the advantage of being tidy, which is desirable in a residential area. Therefore, the Pilisaru Project makes arrangements to promote the use of home composting by providing bins to Local Authorities at a subsidized rate.

vii. Monitoring and taking Legal action for Local Authorities continue to carry out improper Solid Waste Management practices. Pilisaru project, as its final action would resort to taking legal actions against Local Authorities which do not carry out proper Solid Waste Management   practices. Regular evaluation and monitoring of Solid Waste Management   programs being implements by the Local Authorities is carried out by a Monitoring & Evaluation Committee which consists of the DEOs and the Pilisaru Staff as the Committee members.

Contact Number: +86 010-82080854