NATIONAL KEY

ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES IN
SRI LANKA
RAMANI ELLEPOLA
LECTURE AT INSTITUTION OF
ENGINEERS June 22nd, 2015

ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION IN SRI LANKA
The need for environmental safeguards is
enshrined in the constitution.
Article 27 states that the state shall protect,
preserve and improve the environment for the
benefit of the community
Article 28f states that the exercise and
enjoyment of rights and freedoms is
inseparable from the performance of duties and
obligations and accordingly it is the duty of
every person in Sri Lanka to protect nature and
conserve its riches

ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION IN SRI LANKA
In Sri Lanka, there are a multitude of laws

(more than 100!) with some provisions relating

to Environmental Protection and Management.
Some of the earliest environmental legislation
dates back to the last century (e.g. Forestry,
Protection of high elevations)
The National Environmental Act no 47 of 1980,
is the first comprehensive piece of legislation
dealing EXCLUSIVELY with environmental
Protection and Management.

AGENCIES DEALING WITH

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Coast Conservation Department
Marine pollution Prevention Authority
Sustainable Energy Authority
Central Environmental Authority
Forest Department
Department of Wildlife Conservation
North Western provincial council

Environmental Authority

GREEN VERSUS BROWN

ISSUES
Legislation relating to Green Issues(eg

forestry, wildlife) have been around in Sri

Lanka for many years-sometimes dating
back to hundred years.
However legislation relating to the so
called Brown Issues(eg water, air ,
industrialPollution Control) are more
recent, and were brought in after the
enactment of the National Environmental
Act.

FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE

CONSERVATION
The Forest Department and Department of

Wildlife Conservation controls 1.9 million

hectares between them.
The Forest Departments main functions consist
of Conserving forests as well as biological
diversity.
DWLCs function is to protect the nations
indigenous fauna and flora.Establishment of
National Reserves and Sanctuaries is a major
function of the DWLC.

HISTORY OF THE CEA

CEA was set up in 1981, under the

provisions in the National Environmental

Act no 47 of 1980
At the inception, the CEA was a
coordinating and policy making body
with no regulatory authority.
In 1988, amendments were made to the
NEA which transformed the CEA into a
Regulatory Agency.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN
SRI LANKA
Municipal Solid Waste (urban areas)
Coastal erosion
Water pollution (Mainly from sewage)
Air pollution(mainly vehicular pollution)
Hazardous waste management
Inappropriate siting of industry
Human elephant conflict
Soil erosion
Deforestation

Municipal solid waste

management
Municipal solid waste management is a

major issue in urban areas

Even in cities where collection is done
properly, final disposal is a problem
In Colombo, final disposal of waste is
causing a major social and political issue
All existing disposal sites are dumps as
opposed to sanitary landfill sites

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT
The very first sanitary landfill site will be

opened in Dompe shortly

The Pilisaruproject implemented by the
CEA has been assisting Local Authorities
in setting up composting plants for
municipal solid waste
Around 80 local authorities have set up
such plants

HAZARDOUS WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Disposal of hazardous waste also poses

a problem in Sri lanka

CEA has gazetted waste streams which
are considered as hazardous waste
This includes hospital waste
A majority of hospitals in Sri Lanka do
not dispose of their waste properly

HAZARDOUS WASTE
Hazardous waste from many industries is

not properly disposed of

Lack of a disposal site is a problem
Holcim accepts some hazardous waste
for incineration in their cement kiln
Although the quantities generated are not
very high a proper system is required
urgently to treat and dispose of hazardous
waste.

INAPPROPRIATE SITING OF
INDUSTRY
Inappropriate Siting of industries can

result in pollution problems and nuisance

Caused mainly by small scale cottage
type of industry
Industry may start in a house thereby
causing a nuisance to neighbors
Bigger industries usually go through a site
approval procedure from CEA and the
Local Authority

IMPROPER SITING OF
INDUSTRY
There is a government policy that high

polluting industry should be sited within

industrial estates
Not sufficient industrial estates in the
country
Some industrial zones do not have
sufficient infrastructure such as waste
treatment facilities

WATER POLLUTION
Pollution of water bodies is mainly from

non point sources(eg sewage)

Some industries discharge untreated
waste into water bodies(eg Rubber
factories)
Pollution due to chemicals or industrial
effluents is not widespread
Rathupaswela-unique case

COMMON WASTE
TREATMENT PLANTS
Two common waste treatment plants

have been established in MoratuwaRatmalana and Ekale-Jaela where there

is a high concentration of industry
The wastewater from the industries are
treated in the common waste treatment
plant prior to discharge into the sea
Industries pay according to their waste
load.

Human Elephant conflict

The human elephant conflict is becoming a

major issue in Sri Lanka

Unplanned development is a major cause for
this issue(example-large scale development
projects built over elephant corridors)
Although the Department of Wildlife
Conservation is being blamed for the
situation, the cause for the conflict is beyond
their mandate

REGULATORY FUNCTIONS OF
THE CEA
The CEA has focused its attention on two
main regulatory functions
1.Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA)
2. Environmental Protection Licence for
waste discharging industry (EPL)

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT(EIA)
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
is one of the most powerful tools in
operational sing the concept of
Sustainable Development

Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA)-Contd.
Environmental Impact Assessment is a

planning tool which could go a long way

in ensuring a sustainable development
process.
All major infrastructure projects as well
major development projects now require
an EIA prior to implementation, thereby
ensuring that almost all adverse
environmental impacts will be mitigated.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AN

EIA?
The purpose of an EIA is to ensure that
development plans or projects under
consideration are environmentally sound
and sustainable, and that environmental
consequences are recognized and taken
into account early in the project design.

History of EIA in Sri Lanka

1981-Legal provisions for EIA included in

the Coast Conservation Act no. 57 of

1981(provisions restricted to the coastal
zone only)
1988-Amendments to the National
Environmental Act mandates EIA for all
Prescribed Projects.

Does EVERY project require an

EIA?
Every project does NOT require EIA. Only so

called Prescribed Projects require EIA.

The list of Prescribed Projects are listed in
gazette no 772/22 dated 24.06.93.
A total of 31 projects are listed as requiring EIA
In addition, projects to be sited in
environmentally sensitive areas require to
undergo EIA.

EIA DECISION MAKING

There is a misconception that EIA process

is effective ONLY if it results in the

rejection of projects.
The purpose of EIA is NOT the rejection of
projects but to assist in the planning of a
BETTER project.
Although the EIA process in Sri Lanka
may have some weaknesses, it has
definitely resulted in the better planning of
projects.

PROJECTS IN SRI LANKA

Many projects in Sri Lanka are

politically driven.
There are many instances where
proper feasibility studies are not
even done prior to implementation
of major projects.
In such instances the EIA
procedure becomes part of the
feasibility study in addition to the
EIA.

PROJECT EXAMPLES
Industrial Estates with no water source

in sight
Sulphuric Acid factory next to Ranaviru
Housing project
Weeravila Airport in the middle of three
Bird Sanctuaries
Ship Breaking industry near Trincomalee
Bay area.
All of the above projects should have
been rejected long before the EIA
process.

PROJECT DECISION
MAKING
Many agencies do not make the decisions

which are possible under their own

legislation but await the decision of the EIA.
This can cost a lot in terms of money and
time for the project proponent as well as to
other agencies
Issues such as water availability for the
project, sitting issues, land issues, risk
assessments, zoning issues, legal issues
are all addressed through the EIA.

DECISION MAKING
AS A RESULT THE EIA PROCESS
BECOMES THE SCAPEGOAT
EIA process is blamed for delaying
projects, slowing down development in
the country, and for the rejection of
good projects
In actual fact the rate of rejection of
projects under EIA is around 2%
The other 98% of projects become
BETTER projects as a result of EIA.

PURPOSE OF EIA
The main purpose of EIA is not

the Approval or Rejection of

projects, but to ensure that
projects which are proposed go
ahead with minimum damage to
the environment.

EMOTIONAL VERSUS
ANALYTICAL DECISION MAKING
It is very important in EIA

decision making not to resort to

emotional decision making but
to be very analytical and
scientific in assessing the
magnitude of the impact on the
environment as well as the
possibility or otherwise of
mitigating such impacts.

IMPACT MITIGATION
We cannot and should not take the

stand that all possible impacts from a

project should be 100%mitigated.
Neither should we expect the EIA
report to study every single impact that
arises from a project in great detail.
This only results in taking attention
away from the major issues which
SHOULD be adressed.

SCOPING AND TERMS OF

REFERENCE
SCOPINGis

an integral part of the

EIA process.
It is a VITAL requirement in the EIA
process as it allows focusing
attention on major issues.
The Terms of Reference should be a
follow up to scoping whereby the TOR
would focus only on major issues.

THE EIA REPORT

The main purpose of an EIA report

is to ASSIST in the decision making

process.
The main part of the EIA which
assist in decision making is the
quantification of the project
impacts, the level of mitigation
possible and an analysis of project
impacts on the environment and its
consequences if any

EIA REPORTS
EIA REPORTS ARE EXPECTED

TO BE CONCISE REPORTS WITH

ADEQUATE INFORMATION FOR
DECISION MAKING.
HOWEVER MANY EIA REPORTS
ARE ACADEMIC REPORTS
RATHER THAN PRACTICAL
REPORTS.

PROBLEMS IN EIA REPORTS

Many EIA reports fall short of this

expectation.
A majority of reports have very good
descriptions of the existing
environment, project details and very
long explanations of minor impacts of
little consequence.
The reports have no proper
analysis of the impacts of the
project on the environment.

EIA REPORT CONTENTS

A 1500 page report discussing

mostly the project details, the

existing environment around the
project, and long details about
minor impacts which could be
ignored, is less valuable than a 100
page report which accurately
analyses the possible impacts of the
project and their magnitudes, and
the possible extent of mitigation.

WRONG USE OF EIA BY

INTERESTED PARTIES
Sometimes the EIA process may be

used by interested parties to reject a

project.
Examples
Waste to energy projects
Hotel Projects
The PAA should be aware of such
possibilities in making decisions.

conclusion
The EIA process is meant to ASSIST in

the decision making process

The EIA reports are not meant to confuse
decision makers with unnecessary details
but give a clear concise analysis of the
project impacts on the environment and
the extent to which they could be
mitigated and details of impacts that
cannot be mitigated.

EIA IN SRI LANKA

Many project proponents look at EIA as

a hurdle to development
EIA can assist in planning a better
project
As engineers, EIA can be made use of to
plan a better project overall

PLANNING OF PROJECTS
Engineers involved in project planning

should also look into environmental

aspects during the planning stage.
During the feasibility and planning stage
issues such as loss of forest cover and
impacts on wildlife should be considered
in addition to engineering aspects
It is difficult to change a plan during the
EIA stage

PROJECT PLANNING
There are many irrigation and water

supply projects planned especially in the

North.
These are very useful projects as they
provide irrigation and drinking water to
areas which were deprived of water in
the past.

PROJECT PLANNING
During the project planning and

feasibility stage, it is very important for

the engineering professionals to have
close consultation and discussions with
conservation agencies such as the
Forest Department and Department of
Wildlife Conservation in order to adress
the issues they may have.

PROJECT PLANNING
In many projects in Sri Lanka, agencies

such as the Forest Department and

Department of Wildlife Conservation get
to know about the projects only at the
EIA stage.
This is too late in the project cycle and
many projects get delayed due to this
reason

Pollution Control
One of the major areas in which the CEA

is involved is the control of pollution from

industry.
In addition, the CEA is involved in the
control of water pollution, air pollution,
noise pollution and Hazardous waste
management.

Control of Water Pollution

One of the major impacts of industries

on the environment is the discharge of

waste water which causes water
pollution in water bodies such as rivers,
lakes and lagoons as well as the ocean.
In order to control such pollution, the
CEA has specified standards which are
required to be met be industries when
discharging their waste effluents.

Industrial Pollution control

The CEA controls pollution arising from

industry through the process of issuing an

Environmental Protection Licence(EPL) to
industries.
The EPL issued to an industry stipulates the
standards and criteria to be met by the
industry during its operations and discharge
of effluents and noise.
If the industry violates any of the conditions in
the EPL the CEA can file legal action against
the industry.

Control of Water Pollutioncontd;

The standards stipulated by the CEA

specifies the level of pollutants which are

allowed to be discharged into the
environment.
Example-Biological Oxygen
Demand(BOD) is a measure of the
pollutant load of waste water.The CEA
specifies a BOD level of 30mg/L for
waste water discharged into water ways.

Control of Water PollutionContd

In addition chemicals such as Mercury,

Chromium, Lead which are toxic heavy

metals are not allowed to be present in
waste water as these heavy metals could
lead to severe pollution and human health
impacts.
These precautions have been taken in order
to prevent situations such as the Minamata
incident and itai-itai disease in Japan

MISCONCEPTION
There is a misconception that the

standards specified by the CEA are too

stringent for a country such as Sri Lanka.
However the standards in Sri Lanka are
very similar to those in other countries in
the region such as India and Thailand.

LOW COST POLLUTION

CONTROL TECHNOLOGY
There is however an urgent need for low

cost technology for waste treatment in Sri

Lanka.
Example-ITI developed a low cost method
for the treatment of wastewater from
service stations.
Cost of ITI method-200,000.00
Cost of treatment given by university5,000,000.00

Control of Air Pollution

A major human health hazard in urban areas is

air pollution caused by vehicular emissions.

The major air pollutants which are a cause of
human health hazard are Sulphur Dioxide,
Carbon Monoxide and Oxides of Nitrogen.
These air pollutants could cause major health
problems unless they are kept under control.
In the past, a major problem was caused by the
addition of Lead to petrol,

Air Pollution
Diesel vehicles- the major pollutants arising

from diesel vehicles are Sulphur Dioxide,

Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxide, Hydro
Carbons and Particulates.
Petrol Vehicles- Main pollutants from petrol
vehicles are Lead, Aromatics, Carbon
Monoxide, Hydro Carbons, Oxides of
Nitrogen, Suspended Particulate Matter(SPM)
The main air pollutants from industries are
Sulphur Dioxide, Oxides of Nitrogen and
Particulates.

EFFECTS OF AIR
POLLUTION
Health Effects- due to Lead, Oxides of

Nitrogen, Sulphur di Oxide and Particulate

Matter.
Acid Rain-due to Sulphur Dioxide and
Oxides of Nitrogen forming Sulphuric Acid
and Nitric Acid.
Effects on buildings and monuments due to
acid rain.
Smog formation.
Damage to crops.

Effects of Air Pollution-contd;

Global Warming-Green House Effect-

mainly due to Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous

Oxides and Methane.
Ozone depletion- due CFCs, Nitrogen
Oxides
Loss of natural forests(due to Acid Rain)eg.
Europe
Acidification of water bodies and soil due to
Sulphur Di oxide and Oxides of Nitrogen.

Situation in Sri Lanka

Ambient Air Quality standards gazetted in

1994.
Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide levels
are more stringent than WHO
recommended levels.
Levels of CO, NOx, SO2 are still lower
than WHO reocommended levels.
Particulate matter(dust) exceeds WHO
recommended levels.

Air Pollution-Contd;
Lead fumes can cause severe health

problems including mental retardation in

children under the age of five.Since the use
of leaded petrol has now been discontinued
the possibility of exposure to Lead through
vehicle emissions is eliminated.
The CEA has also developed vehicular
emission standards for both petrol and
diesel vehicles.

Air Pollution Control-Contd

Regulations have already been gazetted

requirng vehicles to meet the standards

stipulated by the CEA.
Vehicles now have to provide a vehicle
emission test report when renewing the
annual licence.
The use of two stroke three wheelers have
also been banned from 2008 as two stroke
three wheelers cause heavy pollution.

Air Pollution-Contd
In addition to vehicle pollution industries

such as thermal power plants which are

run on diesel and heavy fuel oil can also
cause severe pollution.
The CEA has stipulated air emission

standards for air polluting industries

including thermal power plants in order to
control air pollution arising from these.

Coal Power Plants

Sri lanka has plans to expand coal

powered thermal power plants in future.

Coal may be the cheapest fuel for power
generation.
However coal plants have many
environmental issues

Environmental Issues in Coal

plants
Air Pollution (mainly SO2, Nox but also

mercury and radioactive nuclides)

A major issue with coal plants is the
bottom ash and fly ash which contains
heavy metals such as Mercury in
addition to radioactive material.

NATURAL GAS
Sri Lanka does not have any hazardous

waste disposal landfill sites. With the

expansion of coal power plants this is bound
to pose a serious environmental issue in the
future.
Many countries are now switching over to
Natural Gas for power generation.
Natural Gas is a clean fuel and no
emissions of SO2 and very much less
emissions of Nox and CO2

HAZARDOUS WASTE
MANAGEMENT
Regulations for the management of hazardous

waste have been gazetted under the National

Environmental Act.
In addition to various types of industrial waste
streams, hospital waste has also been included
in the list of waste streams classified as being
hazardous.
Industries generating hazardous waste are
required to obtain an additional permit, in
addition to the EPL, from the CEA.

13 th Amendment to the
Constituition
Under the 13 th Amendment

environment is in the concurrent list.

The Central Government as well as the
Provincial Council have powers in this
regard.
The separation of powers between the
Central Government and the provinces
has not been laid down

NORTH WESTERN
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL
The Northwestern provincial Council has

enacted its own statute on Environment.

The Attorney General has ruled that
under these circumstances the CEA has
no authority within the North Western
Province .

ISSUES REGARDING THE

NORTH WESTERN
PROVINCIAL
COUNCIL
There are issues such
as air pollution
issues which are not confined within a
province.
Norochcholai Coal Power Plant EIA
approval was granted by the North
Western Province Environmental
Authority and not the CEA

13th Amendment
There are other issues such as
setting of environmental standards,

national rivers,
Hazardous waste Management,
control of chemicals,
international Environmental conventions
which has to be handled at the centre
and not by the provinces.

13th Amendment
This is an issue which has to be clarified
And settled very early in order to avoid

confusion and chaos.