Review by Kavitra Rajapaske (Wildlife Society TCK)
Sri Lanka is country with wonderful people, but how most of them treat nature and their country is beyond disappointment. We understood this so well when we gathered at the Lewella Bridge to engage in a meaningful day’s work, cleaning the banks of the Mahaveli River, on Saturday the first of March, 2025, at 8.30 am. The members from the Clean Kandy Force provided specific instructions to the students and teachers from Colombo International school, the Wildlife Society of TCK, workers from the KMC, and volunteers.
The first session was the bank below the bridge. The environment looked exceptionally picturesque, but heaps of garbage completely destroyed the beauty there. Waste of all kinds was pulled out and stashed into separate bags. Two old boys of TCK Mr. Achala Meddegama and Mr. Dushan Pamunuwa involved in the Clean Kandy Force, explained the process of recycling the plastic and polythene sent Gohagoda. There were several bags of rigifoam, and footwear. Further, there was rubber waste and large vehicle parts thrown directly to the slopes below, by a tyre and three wheeler shop above. Officials from Mahaweli Authority as well as The Environment Police addressed concerns with immediate effect requesting the perpetrators to join in to pull their trash away.
The Chief Nun of the Buddhist Nunnery close to the bridge and CIS, had organised refreshments for the volunteers and after a short break at the temple, more cleaning was carried out on the left banks of the river.
The members of the KCF were assisted by teams from CIS and TCK to identify and record the brands and manufacturers of plastic waste.
Total waste collected: 196 bags
Waste categories:
- Plastic
- Glass
- Polythene
- Metals
- Rubber + Styrofoam + cloth material
The officials concerned, hope to mitigate pollution by presenting the findings to the authorities and presenting their suggestions.
We sincerely thank the team from Colombo International School and Clean Kandy Force for funding this project. We acknowledge the support extended by the Kandy Municipal Council and PHI’s Office to this magnanimous event. As students, we learnt that holding a membership in the Wildlife Society at TCK is not only about enjoying excursions, but it is also about contributing to community initiatives that facilitate the preservation and cleanliness of our natural surroundings.
