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Drowning in dirt
The Coastal Resource Management Programme has begun fighting pollution in the Lunawa lagoon-once a beautiful eco-system
By Aaysha Cader
There are traces of black sedimentation on parts of the lagoon. The stench of garbage is distinct. The banks are home to many encroachments. The water can sometimes turn deep green. Some years ago, there were many birds, but Lunawa lagoon, then a fisherman's haven is now a polluted eco-system that is virtually dead.

But there is a glimmer of hope. For the lagoon situated around 14 kilometres south of Colombo, in the Ratmalana- Moratuwa industrial area is one of nine Special Area Management (SAM) sites under the Coastal Resource Management Programme (CRMP), which is looking to fight pollution.

The Lunawa lagoon is relatively small with a total surface area of less than eight square kilometres, but the dense human population in its environs is proving to be fatal. Its biological diversity has waned considerably and the fishermen who used to flock to the lagoon for their daily catch a decade ago, do not bother anymore.

"In Lunawa, we have two major challenges to meet," says M.G.W.M.K. Gunarathne, the Manager, Field Project Implementation Unit, Lunawa. One of them is the unplanned physical interference of the lagoon and the other, he says, is its natural geographical status. The main objective of the SAM plan, says Mr. Gunarathne is to minimize the further deterioration of the lagoon environment, and to improve its ability for self-renewal and enhanced biological re-production.

The industrial boom that occurred in the area during the sixties resulted in the establishment of many factories and companies, which also saw the continuous increase in population and human encroachments on the lagoon banks. Pollution increased gradually and the lagoon is now so dirty that no boats are seen anymore.

Lalitha Weerasinghe has been a resident on the riverbank for over four decades. "The lagoon used to be beautiful and we really enjoyed fishing from our backyard," she recalls, naming the fish species such as striped snakehead (Lula), eels, and pearl spot (gan koraliya) among others. "We used to put a bucket into the water and get loads of colourful fish," she says, adding that there were also many birds that flocked to the lagoon in the past. "You don't find so many of them now."

She says that the early signs of degradation showed when there was a marked decrease in fish, as well as the fact that edible plants such as Kankun and Gotukola, which they grew on the riverbank had become so contaminated that even the fowls could not feed on them. "When the water levels rise, a blackish substance (probably some chemical or dye) emerges and it remains when the water recedes," she says.

Mr. Gunarathne blames it not just on the chemicals and toxic substances released by the factories in the area, but on the lack of water treatment mechanisms and poor solid waste management.

"There are a lot of apparel industries in the area," he says, adding that dyes and other such chemicals are the main pollutants. Most industries are located in the catchments of the northern part of the lagoon, and as a result this area is more polluted.

Nimal Fernando, 52, a fisherman from the area for the past 42 years agrees. "Look at the state of the water, there's garbage everywhere and obviously no fish to catch," he says, as he rattles off a list of fish species that used to be abundant in the area. We had a lot of mullet (Godaya) and Bar-eyed Goby (Wali Gowwa) he says, adding that the fishermen have now abandoned the 'dead' lagoon and shifted to Bolgoda for fishing purposes. "Some years ago, we used to have so many kraal constructions that stretched from one bank to the other," he recalls, adding that Lunawa used to be a breeding ground for fish.

The natural geographical setting of the lagoon has resulted in a dearth of mangrove vegetation in Lunawa, and thus, a lack of nesting and landing places for birds, explains the site manager. "The lagoon is naturally on a higher level due to constant sedimentation," he says adding that the dumping of solid waste has also played a part in it. The elevation does not facilitate seawater flowing into the lagoon. Poor water exchange ensures that the lagoon remains a freshwater body, and mangroves are scarce, as they require brackish water to grow.

"About 72% of the total budget expenditure of the projects is used for dredging the lagoon and to open the river-mouth to facilitate water exchange," says Mr. Gunarathne, adding that a fair amount is spent on introducing proper solid waste management mechanisms.

Another aspect of the SAM plan is to ensure that all existing development activities in the area comply with the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) standards for effluent discharge. Assistant Director of the CEA Ajith Weerasundara says that there are CEA- standards for wastewater discharge adding that low and high polluting industries have been identified and given licences.

There are 80 high-polluting industries on their list and 45 low pollutanting ones. Periodic checks are done on the industries. There is also a proposal to construct a wastewater treatment plant in Moratuwa that will help further reduce the quantity of pollutants released to the lagoon.

Deputy General Manager, Special Projects of the Water Supply and Drainage Board Ms P.R.L. Seneviratne, says that this mechanism will collect industrial and domestic wastewater in the Ratmalana - Moratuwa area and treat it to CEA-stipulated standards before finally discharging it to the sea. As most of the toxic waste finally flows into the lagoon, her view is that this treatment plant will help reduce pollution. Lunawa lagoon is yet another environmental disaster to have befallen a beautiful eco-system in our country. But hopefully it can be saved.

A community battle
The Coastal Resource Management Project (CRMP) is an Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded venture, which was launched by the Coastal Conservation Department (CCD) under the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources in 2001.

The project has identified nine sites for Special Area Management (SAM). SAM plans have been drawn up for six new areas -Bar Reef, Negombo lagoon, Lunawa lagoon, Maduganga, Kalametiya and Habaraduwa (the stretch from Unawatune to Koggala). The CRMP has limited interventions in Hikkaduwa, Mawella and Kirama Oya.

The project comprises Coastal Environment and Resource Management, Institutional Engineering (funded by the Dutch government), Coastline Stabilization and fishery harbour (funded by the ADB).

The Special Area Management (SAM) Project is a ground-level project that focuses on community involvement. According to Koen Broker, associate professional expert of the CRMP, there are three components or stakeholders within the community -the stakeholders of the community, namely the resource users and abusers, the resource guardians (NGOs etc.) and resource managers (local authorities). The stakeholders are first identified and then organised into Community Coordinating Committees (CCCs) who meet regularly to discuss the implementation of the projects.

Mr Broker believes that what is unique about these CCCs is that they will continue to function even after the project ends in 2006. He revealed that there were three projects currently underway in Lunawa lagoon-a Swedish funded water treatment plan, a Japanese funded cleaning of canals and resettlement and the ADB funded dredging of the lagoon mouth and the removal of sedimentation.

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