Strong stench from Beira Lake forces hotels to close

11 September 2025 06:19 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 29 Bookmark

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By Mangala Pavithrani

Colombo, Sept. 11 (Daily Mirror) - The strong stench emanating from Beira Lake has become a serious issue, making it difficult for hotels around the lake to operate, Western Province Solid Waste Management Authority Chairman Chathura Kahandawarachchi said.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Kahandawarachchi noted that the authority has received numerous complaints regarding the odor, with some hotels forced to close as a result. Residents have also voiced concerns, claiming that the excessive stench has made living in nearby homes unbearable.

To address the situation, Kahandawarachchi said a comprehensive cleanup plan has been initiated, comprising short-term, medium-term, and long-term programs. Under the short-term plan, measures are being taken to prevent sewage from entering the lake, including the repair of several sewer lines.

He added that electronic boats are currently being used to remove floating waste from the lake, with three additional boats expected to arrive soon.

Comments - 29

Riad Thursday, 11 September 2025 06:35 PM

Forget five-star hotels — Beira Lake is now offering its own *all-natural* ‘gas chamber experience’ free of charge.

2 19

Kandaih Balendran Friday, 12 September 2025 01:06 PM

Container Usup may be pumping sewage.

0 3

Kinza Majid Thursday, 11 September 2025 06:38 PM

Well done AKD and NPP - I am sure you are ready to blame this on Rajapaksha's, aren't you?

29 29

Pacha Polima Friday, 12 September 2025 07:45 AM

Exactly . All big talk about cleaning it and new attractions . Just like Clean Sri Lanka . Area around new casino looks like City of Garbage.

2 4

Sam Thursday, 11 September 2025 06:39 PM

The same hotels discharging their effluents to the Beira!

2 29

Lol Thursday, 11 September 2025 07:08 PM

Give me a break!! When did Beira Lake ever smell nice?

6 40

D P P Prasad Thursday, 11 September 2025 07:09 PM

The Beira lake is directly connected to the waste disposal pipe lines of the certain factories. The waste products that are released from such factories flow to the lake continuously and constantly. This is a long standing issue. No government so far did pay its attention to mitigate this issue. These waste products stagnate months and years. Some waste products can be seen floating on the lake. Due to these waste products the adjacent areas to the lake are continuously stinking. Thus nobody can bear this unbearable odour or stench. Therefore the foreign and local visitors are reluctant to get their meals and other refreshments from the hotels that are located close proximity to Beira lake. If this government takes necessary measures to clean up this lake it will be more beneficial for hoteliers and other communities who are residing at the brink of the lake

0 26

Suhada malli Thursday, 11 September 2025 07:16 PM

What happened to the Rs1Bn nanobubble project given to Grepo Pvt Ltd with Dr Ashu Marasinghe taking a keen interest when the back door govt was in power in 2023? Please investigate.

0 28

Come Mr Tallyman tally me bannana Friday, 12 September 2025 08:11 AM

Money secretly moved to overseas accounts of people in tbe former Govt. How else can they live so lavishly in SL.?

0 9

Nahil Wijesuriya Saturday, 20 September 2025 10:35 AM

That was a fraud from the start. No one knows what happened to the LKR 1b other than Mr. ASHU MARASINGHE.. His "Nano bubbles" was a joke. At my own expense, at the request of Minister Mangala who was in charge of the Beira , I flushed the dirty water of the Beira with sea water at 1000 tons a hour. The two submersible pumps were off the Sasakawa Building area and the 18" Diameter pipe line discharged this huge quantity of sea water at the Gangarama end of the Beira. Within one week of pumping the dirty water was flushed out to the sea across the water over flow near the Presidential Secretariat. The sea around there was green and the Beira was Blue with sea water. After a month of pumping and after the conversion of the lake to sea the system needed only intermittent pumping for about 2 hours a week. I handed over the whole system to the LOW LYING AREAS RECLAIMATION BOARD which was the only institution able to take over this installation. Iam at the limit.

0 2

Suhada malli Thursday, 11 September 2025 07:20 PM

Alongside the beira lake banks, install submersible pumps that will operate with solar power and make the algi forming stagnant water to keep flowing through the middle of the lake to the sea. once all the water starts flowing and less algi is formed the stench will go off. the pumps will use the beira own water and make it flow.

1 13

Rip Winkle Thursday, 11 September 2025 08:51 PM

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has discovered a new method for the cleaning of lakes.

0 10

Dr Tissa Fernando Thursday, 11 September 2025 09:40 PM

Achievement of Clean Sri Lanka. The lake was super clean when they took over and they spent public money and made it dirty again.

32 14

wsw Friday, 12 September 2025 03:59 AM

This Lake has been filthy, leave aside being "super clean" for donkey's years. Why not suggest a solution rather than being this perennial critic ?

1 7

Stench from SLPP, UNP government still around Thursday, 11 September 2025 10:14 PM

This stench could be from when the dirty minded SLPPers took a bath in this lake. Their wrongdoer attitudes makes the lake sewage filled like.

13 21

Colombo Citizen Thursday, 11 September 2025 10:29 PM

I thought this problem was settled by the new government by engaging an electric boat to remove garbage in the lake.

0 16

Dilshan Perera Thursday, 11 September 2025 10:42 PM

Beira lake needs a water inflow to flush out waste towards the sea.. may be Kelani river should be diverted..

3 3

Pollutiing the problem, new works not the solution Thursday, 11 September 2025 11:22 PM

There nearby people are sending sewage into the lake and also polluting it. Why cause disruptions to 100,000 plus other by spending billions on bringing in additional water.

0 3

Beira Yaka Thursday, 11 September 2025 11:11 PM

Well known fact that affluents are pumped into it. No point cleaning it up without solving the source.

0 1

Nalin Gooneratne Friday, 12 September 2025 01:43 AM

What happened to the project implemented a few years ago to collect all the effluent coming into the Beira Lake.

0 0

Herman Perera Friday, 12 September 2025 05:51 AM

Reading some of these comments, its easy to point the finger at the Govt. This has been going on for over 60 or 70 years. This is nothing new. Without criticising if you have a solution please help.

0 2

R Navaratnam Friday, 12 September 2025 06:42 AM

The priority for the Municipality is to find the reason for odour. Once the reasons are found , then see the source which is contributing for bad odour, treat the source prior to discharge. Bring in experts from overseas if there are none in Sri Lanka .

0 3

Jude Friday, 12 September 2025 07:29 AM

All successive governments NEVER made any real effort to clean Beira lake, period. It's Not rocket science, hey authorities get your act together and do the job of cleaning the Beira lake.

0 2

Christo255 Friday, 12 September 2025 09:01 AM

NPP, all pacha no work.

4 1

Kumar Friday, 12 September 2025 09:03 AM

What are the PHI's and the Ministries of Health and Environment doing. Why not ask the Universities to come up with a project to cost effectively solve the problem and provide an attractive reward for solving. How about asking the NGO who filed a fundamental rights against the past presidents to file one against the present Administrators for meaningful action.

0 2

Christian Dior Friday, 12 September 2025 03:35 PM

Welcome to the paradise island govern by the NPP.

3 2

R. K. D. C. Bernard Saturday, 13 September 2025 03:05 PM

Absolutely eligible and essential precedure for all of urban area in Colombo. It is the capital in Sri Lanka but the dirty environment shows our disability of cleaning to the overseas from this lake. No one still done a sufficient solution for this and some temporary programmes could be seen during those regimes. But according to this concept shall be able to see a appreciable maitenance that's why noncorrupted administration actually. Beira Lake is a source of the city but a sustainable usage is essential for a lasting survival. It can be improved as a tourist attraction like other countries. But the cleaning measures should be empowered compulsively. Exicting hotels and other establishments which are located around the lake should be managed under a critical condition with environment rules. Garbage handling to be improved and other people also do some thing with neglecting of environment typically. Video camaras should be installed around the lake with monitering day and night.

0 0

Percy Wijenayake Monday, 15 September 2025 09:33 AM

This is an Engineering issue and appears the local Engineers are incapable of solving the problem. Expertise from UK or Australia must sought without any delay. It is a serious health problem.

1 1

Paul Cole Thursday, 18 September 2025 01:44 PM

stinky pinky...!!!

0 0

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