Fri, 29 Mar 2024 Today's Paper

Pollution is the greatest enemy of GREEN ECONOMY

By

14 December 2017 12:14 am - 1     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

Green Economy is a subject being talked about all over the globe. What is Green Economy has to be understood before debating about it. Most educated are aware of it and those not educated about Green Economy have to be educated. Getting on to Green Economy and finding a solution is analysing cause and effect.  

We in Sri Lanka too talk about Green Economy. Some think of it as an economy proposed by a green government. When President of Sri Lanka talks about Green Economy, people wonder why president talks about Green Economy. Fortunately in Sinhala it is “Haritha Arthikaya”.  

All developed countries used global natural resources and gave back emissions and pollution. Some developing countries are still doing it. Some developed countries do so not in their own countries but in countries they have offered to develop as those countries are more interested in FDI, introduction of industry, technology and employment.  

We in Ceylon being a developed country in 1940’s became an under developed country from 1958 onwards and became a poor country that could not feed its people from late 1960’s to 1976 and once again started to venture out to be a developing country from 1977 by opening its closed doors.  

Singapore was an unknown state. Started developing from 1960’s thanks to leftist policies of Ceylon which closed its doors to international companies. An intelligent Head of State of Singapore opened doors and invited all the displaced companies of Ceylon to establish themselves in Singapore. Ceylon became poor and Singapore started to grow to be a recognized State within a few years. Singapore followed Ceylon and now we want to follow Singapore after wasting 60 years of country time. Even now,  it is not too late.  

Now that we are on the subject of Green Economy! Cause has been identified as Pollution. Pollution comes in many forms. Taking a lead is Air, followed by water, sound, air pollution in SL has been controlled to some extent by issuing a clean air certificate once a year to vehicles at the time of obtaining revenue licence. There are two private smog testing companies.

A million trees if scientifically planed need 5000 acres of land i.e. approx. 180 – 200 plants per acre. High time to start! There is no forward planning in this country. 

How is it that we still see belching vehicles on the roads? Prime movers, land vehicles, tractors 2 wheel and 4 wheel, earth moving equipment and backhoes. Practically all combustion engines and  equipment inclusive of generators, boilers, coal power generation plants etc., have to be registered and subjected to emission testing. Portable Emission Measuring Equipment is available in plenty all over the world.

Sri Lanka too imported them to do sudden checks of emission. What happened to them is a golden question. Some of the state vehicles inclusive of public transport vehicles, service vehicles, prime movers and sometimes vehicles used by law enforcement authority can be seen emitting black smoke from exhaust. No action has been taken up to now to control black smoke emitting from diesel locomotives of Sri Lanka railway.

On certain days pink clouds could be seen in the sky as well as smog. Most of us are unaware about it. It can be seen very well when travelling by air during the day when your flight is approaching or leaving Colombo Airport for taking off or landing facing East. Aircraft travels overland for approx. 20 minutes. It is easy to observe pollution and destruction and rape of forests at high elevation even by an untrained mind. Take a look at the sky on a normal day. Hardly any blue sky is seen. On a day after rain in the night a very clear deep blue sky can be seen. That is because all the pollution has been washed down by rain. Recently when I ran for shelter along a side walk where many vendors were selling fruit and vegetables.

I found them rushing to close their stock. I told them it would be great for the rain to wash the dust off their goods. One of them told me, they always prevent rain on their products as it is acid rain and it ruins their fruits and vegetables. That means the common vendor is aware of the pollution in rain water being acidic but none of our legislators is aware of it. Air quality in Colombo was measured some time back and displayed. Nothing of the sort takes place now. Why? Is CEA worried that their inefficiency will be displayed to public?  

In Delhi, there is a digital green and red pollution Display at all police stations. It is always red and some days air quality alerts are given by a warning siren. It will take many years for them to do a green display. But they are trying. Emission testing has been made compulsory every three months for all vehicles in India.  

Next is pollution of water. All rivers, lakes, water ways are used as dumps for release of effluents and garbage by the public as well as industry. Animals are given a bath in lakes, vehicles are washed in lakes and people too bathe in lakes. Water in lakes in some arias is used as city supply with chlorine treatment.

Does it undergo filtration? Colombo City Supply has brown-coloured sediment if filtered. How can there be sediment?. This shows the filtration system of Colombo City water supply is inefficient or not being maintained or monitored. Most big industry does not release polluted water to waterways but yet some do as affluent treatment filtration plants are expensive and maintenance cost is high, but it is a part of their corporate social responsibility.

Small industry, especially rubber industry including people has to be educated about release of used water in to waterways without eliminating chemicals. Sewage too is released in to waterways by allowing settlements along rivers, canal banks. It is easy for us to write about it but difficult to implement. We need a lot of education and monitoring by dedicated, uncorrupted public officials.  

Another great pollutants is sound. There is religious sound pollution especially in the morning and evening. Do we need this type of sound pollution which is a public nuisance? Those who want to listen to their prayers can do so in their homes, offices, workplaces by use of radio, TV or mobile phones without being a public nuisance.

There is a law in the country that sound has to be below 80 decibels at the perimeter. If so religious pollution has to be controlled below 80db or completely eliminated. Next is the sound from horns of vehicles the biggest culprit being drivers of buses. Horns are supposed to be below 60db. Special equipment was imported to check sound of vehicle horns.

Is it happening? What has happened to the equipment? Even God may not know. Our efficient Sri Lanka Police is deaf to sound pollution from horns. Any traffic cop can prosecute drivers of Buses for excessive use of horn and sound of horn. Does it happen? If the police is efficient, they can publish records of prosecutions weekly or monthly.  

Going back to creating a Green Economy. The best friend, the whole world has that converts carbon products back to green are trees and plants. Much publicity is given to planting of millions of trees. Approx. 6000 acres were destroyed by man-made forest fires in 2016/17. A million trees if scientifically planed need 5000 acres of land i.e. approx. 180 – 200 plants per acre.

High time to start! There is no forward planning in this country. Only political noise and closing the door after the horses have bolted. A special force to monitor and take action is a good thought but will it reduce the felling of forests as politicians are the biggest culprits of all destruction be it forest or sand mining just to name a few.  

Pollution is also caused by garbage. This is a country that is yet to convert garbage into economic profit but still believe in dumping anywhere and every ware. Many exposed granite quarries, clay mining sites are available but no land fill tales places at these sites, as no money can be made by councils. People are made to protest on use of landfills encouraged by hidden hands.  

This country does not have a Green Economy target. Most countries have planned to bring down air pollution by 50% by in the years 2020 - 2025. Do we have such a plan? Plans are made in other countries to electrify all vehicles on roads inclusive of cars, trucks, buses, trains. Do we have such a plan? Electric vehicles are considered luxury in this country.

Intelligent countries give rebates on purchase of electric vehicles made locally and imports are offered concessionary duty or zero duty. Trains are electric and most on linier motion technology zero emission and soundless as they travel above track. Most countries now have three lane roads. We have hardly any other than neglected plants planted during modification of Galle Road and a few other roads by a far thinking secretary responsible for environment. Assume there are no curators in RDA, Municipal Councils, Town Councils but only tree choppers.  

Our politicians’ plans are to stay in power or topple a government that is in power. Not to look after the country. Elections are declared. Soon we will be polluted by noise from political meetings and musical shows going on late till night, air and noise pollution by fire crackers. Polythene decorations of streets and stage, empty water bottles, plastic cups scattered all over after meetings. Noise pollution must be stopped by 11 pm as the law states.

All laws will be violated by those responsible for governance. In order to show good governance, the President, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment should not attend rallies and meetings that do not follow laws of the country.  


Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

  Comments - 1

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka
  • Mangalika Fletcher Sunday, 17 December 2017 07:35 PM

    It is indeed very unfortunate to think about what are the responsible authorities of this Government do to protect this beautiful Island.As you have mentioned there are many things to be corrected .The Chemicals that are releasing to the environment in Agriculture and Industries have done the biggest damage.. No mitigation no solutions.The Government is only struggling to stay in power.They have forgotten the people and the Country.


Add comment

Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

Reply To:

Name - Reply Comment





Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

VAT increase: SOUNDs death knell for publishers, readers

Though the Government imposed VAT (Value Added Tax) on vegetables and other e

How female change-makers are driving Sri Lanka’s energy saving platform

Saving energy has become more of a responsibility than a habit in today’s c

A dull Ramadan awaits Muslims amidst the Soaring Cost of Living

In the coming days, Muslims across the world will welcome the Holy Month of R

New wildlife underpass to curtail HEC

As of February 2024, Sri Lanka lost another 38 elephants as a result of the H

MIRROR CRICKET

More