- CEJ urges in-depth tests beyond NWSDB capacity
- Emphasises on implementation of anti-water pollution laws
Environmentalists say that for Sri Lanka to properly benefit from the national policies on drinking water and water-related safety, the authorities should consider establishing a dedicated entity to the subject of drinking water and water sources, to continuously monitor the same.
The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) said that such efforts are necessary due to several reasons, the main one being existing, mainstream systems of purifying water for human consumption in Sri Lanka not being stringent enough to test various pollutants that are prevalent and harmful to humans. CEJ Chairperson Ravindranath Dabare, told The Daily Morning that even though certain tests are carried out during the process of purifying water at present, they cover only basic parameters of purifying water, and that therefore, the said policies should pay attention to rectifying that issue. He opined that the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) alone cannot conduct such in-depth tests with the resources available to it.
Moreover, Dabare noted that the said entity should also pay serious attention to enforcing the existing laws pertaining to the pollution of water sources, adding that many issues concerning water safety can be dealt with the existing laws, if they are implemented properly. He stressed that protecting water sources is an integral part of ensuring water safety, although Sri Lanka’s understanding of ensuring water safety is largely limited to merely purifying water.
He expressed concerns that a number of recent research reports had pointed out that water resources in Sri Lanka are contaminated beyond internationally set limits, and that various chemical compounds released from factories are among the main reasons for such pollution.
Earlier this month (April), the Cabinet of Ministers had granted approval to integrate and implement the national policies on drinking water and water-related safety.