Cyclone Ditwah floods pollute 200 nautical miles of Sri Lankan coastline

By Indika Sri Aravinda

Colombo, Dec. 18 (Daily Mirror) - The Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) has reported severe ocean pollution along 200 nautical miles of Sri Lanka’s coastline following landslides and floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah. Tons of organic plant debris and other waste have been washed into the ocean, posing a serious threat to the country’s fishing industry, MEPA Chairman Samantha Gunasekara warned.

“Unlike previous floods, which mainly carried plastic and polythene waste into the ocean through river basins, this time we are seeing massive amounts of organic plant material, textiles, wood, glass, plastic bottles, animal remains, and other garbage mixed into the sea,” Gunasekara said.

Coastal areas hardest hit include Colombo, Negombo, Chilaw, Jaffna, Puttalam, Kalpitiya, Mannar, the Delft Islands, and the Eastern Province. The accumulation of organic plant material from the Knuckles, Sri Pada, and other central forest reserves is further threatening marine ecosystems.

MEPA is urging the public to immediately stop dumping plastic and polythene waste into rivers and lakes, even after floodwaters recede. Chairman Gunasekara also highlighted plans to deploy safety nets across river inlets and streams flowing into the sea to minimize future waste contamination.

Clean-up operations are underway along approximately 143 kilometers of the polluted coastline, requiring an estimated 5,280 man-hours. A hired workforce, with support from 13 regional MEPA offices across the island, is assisting local government institutions in collecting, neutralizing, and safely disposing of the waste. The authorities anticipate the clean-up will take at least three weeks.