Under the Samanola Siri Haritha Wandana Clean Sri Lanka program, the Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha is currently sorting plastic, polythene, glass and other recyclables from Siripa Maluwa and its surroundings before recycling them. The recycling of these recyclables is being done at the Nallathanniya Rikaton Garbage Center owned by the council.
A team of fifteen people has been deployed on a shift basis to collect the materials separately, and the separated plastic stock is to be sold to the relevant private companies.
An official of the Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha said that the amount of waste collected and stored in Siripa Maluwa and its surrounding areas and the hill was brought to Nallathanniya by workers carrying loads to the Sri Pada Maluwa.
As a project of the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat, the program to almost completely remove the biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste deposited in Siripa Maluwa and its surrounding areas as well as the hill was carried out from November (25) to December (07).
The first phase involved 35 people, including commandos from the Sri Lanka Army, and ordinary soldiers, while the second phase involved about 150 representatives from the Army, Police and volunteer groups.
Although their duties were severely hampered by adverse weather conditions such as torrential rain and strong winds, the Nuwara Eliya Government Agent’s Office, Sri Lanka Police officers and the residents of Nallathanniya were able to make this program a success.
As of (06), all the biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste bags collected from the courtyard, surrounding courtyards and Hela have been brought to Nallathanniya under the Clean Sri Lanka program and handed over to the Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha for recycling.
Ranjith Rajapaksa