COLOMBO: Independence Day is a very important occasion for us. It was a pledge made by Sri Lankans to improve the life of the fellow citizens 75 years ago. Today, we have achieved some part of the dream, but much of it is yet to be redeemed. Our mission is Clean Sri Lanka, Green Sri Lanka.
When we started the independence campaign, there were many realisations. Even after 75 years of independence, much of the sewage does not get treated and considerable percentage of the industrial pollution goes into water bodies. There are many impediments in making Sri Lanka clean. This year, we will be encouraging three things; more Sewage Treatment Plants and new technology, new rules of waste management Solid Waste, E-waste, Plastic Waste, Hazardous Waste, Bio-medical waste and construction waste, much of the rules have been changed and new technology will be brought in and the base will be widened. These are the real efforts to make Sri Lanka clean and green.
Some of the other efforts include river and water bodies cleaning schemes, more plantation and more afforestation including mangroves. We will mobilize funds through international donors and other stakeholders including the private sector. We will put a lot of effort in the next two years for real afforestation of the country, which will definitely increase our green stock that is the carbon sink we are creating. I think this is an occasion for rededication.
