Korean-assisted Solid Waste Disposal Facility drags on for over 5 years
The Solid Waste Disposal Facility Project with Korean loan assistance is still to be completed, even after over five years, due to administrative delays of the Environment Ministry, a progress report divulged. The project has failed to achieve the objectives timely and efficiently and the construction of the waste containers had not been initiated up to now, the report indicated. The total estimated cost of the construction of this facility had been a sum of US$ 41.89 million.
A loan amounting to $33.54 million had been obtained from Korea at 0.15 per cent annual interest that should be repaid in a period of 40 years, after a concessional period of 10 years.
The local provision of funds for the project had been a sum of $8.35 million. The loan agreement for this purpose had been signed in July 2013.
The facilities had to be supplied for the final disposal of waste generated in the areas under local governance under the Cluster Method within a period of four years by this programme.
It had been planned to construct four Sanitary Waste Containers in Kirkkulama in Anuradhapura, Monrowyawatte in Hikkaduwa, Malamulla in Panadura and in Gonadhikawatte in Udunuwara for the achievement of that objective.
Action had not been taken in the initiation of the project to select places for the Sanitary Waste Containers by carrying out a proper feasibility study, a progress report revealed. A period of approximately two years had lapsed after the initiation of the project to construct these waste containers only in Jaffna, Keerimale, Madirigiriya and Yudaganawa instead of constructing them in Panadura, Malamulla, Udunuwara and in Gonadhikawatte.