Special Report On Environmental day in Sri Lanka

This year on 5th June the World Environment Day (WED) was celebrated. WED was formed by the United Nations General Assembly in the year 1972. The first World Environment Day was celebrated in 1973. World Environmental day main activities means to tackle environmental challenges that include climate change, global warming, disasters and conflict, harmful substances, environmental governance, ecosystem management and resource efficiency.

If we describe the meaning of the word “Environment” it is the surroundings or conditions in which people, animals, live in. Colombo being the main city of Sri Lanka there has been a series of measures that were carried out to improve the existing conditions of the environment in the immediate surroundings by a government Institution named Urban Development Authority.  As a result of these measures the surroundings of Colombo have been improved to a certain extent thereby creating a better and a healthier environment for the people to live in.  One of the main tasks of this entire exercise was to introduce a proper garbage clearance thereby keeping the areas clean and tidy for the benefit of the public. Among the many measures that were taken, one visible step was to have large containers to collect garbage where there are large gatherings such as hospitals, schools, institutions, etc.  Further steps were taken to clean the drains by using various pest control liquids to minimize the pollution of the air.

During this week, a programme called “Beautiful Gampaha Programme” was carried by the Government which was held in the district of Gampaha under the guidance of the Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapakshe. The residents in that area made every effort to keep their homes and the surroundings clean and tidy. This helped surroundings of
Gampaha to have a cleaner and a healthier environment. As the nation of Sri Lanka is facing a big threat of a deadly disease called DENGU which is being spread by a MOSQUITO, it is the utmost duty of every citizen of this country to take every measure to keep the immediate surroundings of their homes clean thereby contributing their fullest support to destroying all the Mosquito breathing places. 

Jonathan Rupasinghe
(JEN Sri Lanka Office)