A pilot project to install “Plastic Loops” in major canals of Colombo to trap plastic waste was launched on November 7 near the Nawala canal in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
The initiative is implemented under the national “Clean Sri Lanka” programme with financial support from the “PLEASE” project. The move aims to prevent plastic pollution flowing through Colombo’s urban waterways into rivers and ultimately the ocean — a growing environmental concern in the capital.
Officials note that plastic debris released into the 14 main canal networks and interlinked waterways in the Colombo region has been a major cause of blockages during heavy rainfall. The pilot project seeks to provide a sustainable solution to this issue.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara, Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Sunil Watagala, Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody, and Mayor of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Arosha Athapaththu.
Also present were Additional Secretary to the President (Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat) S. P. C. Sugishwara, Director (Environment) Anjula Premarathna, and Director (Coordination) Dasun Wijesekara. (Newswire)