It is still possible to save the dying Beira Lake

It is reported that the investigation conducted by the NARA Institute into the deaths of fish and aquatic birds in the Beira Lake for about a week has reached the final stage. Accordingly, the NARA Institute says that the water sample test taken from the area where the bird and fish deaths were reported has confirmed that the oxygen level in the water is at a very low level.

Speaking to our website regarding this, Dr. Shyamali Weerasekara of the Environmental Science Department of the NARA Institute said that on Friday the 24th, officials of her institute went to the scene of the incident and collected the necessary samples for testing. She said that according to the information obtained from the water test, it is confirmed that the oxygen level in the water has dropped significantly.

However, she said that in addition to collecting the samples, her officers who went there also conducted an on-site inspection and that their attention was also drawn to the dead ducks and crows. We asked her if the decrease in the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water could be a reason for the deaths of the ducks and crows. She said that since ducks and crows obtain atmospheric oxygen, the decrease in the oxygen concentration in the water may not have a direct impact on those animals, and that other reasons could also be responsible for it.

She said that considering the data published by the Central Environmental Authority in 2019, the ”biochemical oxygen demand” value of the Bere Lake has increased. However, she said that not only water pollution but also other reasons could be responsible for the death of birds, and accordingly, it is more effective to conduct investigations into bird deaths by an institution such as a veterinary inspection institute. She said that such an investigation could include blood tests and analysis of body parts of dead birds, which could help determine whether the deaths of crows and ducks were caused by a disease that affects birds.

According to local residents, the municipal council has used a chemical to eliminate the stench in the Beira Lake. They say that the chemical could be the cause of this situation. Environmentalists investigating the matter say that the municipal council has not yet confirmed that the chemical was used. They suspect that the use of the chemical in excess of the prescribed dose could be the cause of these bird deaths. They also say that the effectiveness of these chemicals may change when the water has not drained. They also point out that it is important to consider whether the algae layer in the water has undergone any changes due to this chemical. They also suspect that the chemical was more harmful to the tar than the fish.

Finally, we asked Dr. Shyamali Weerasekara of the NARA Institute whether the Beira Lake could be saved. ”The Beira Lake can be saved. But cleaning the lake alone is not enough. For that, the discharge of pollutants into the water must be stopped. There are a large number of drains that discharge waste into the Beira Lake. All of this must be cleaned through a centralized treatment plant. Only by doing so can the Beira Lake be maintained as a beautiful urban reservoir,” she said.

Aruna Lakshman Fernando.