KARADIANA GARBAGE DUMP

Sandeepanie Vithanage
14/8/2012
Blog-1

              Today we went to MOH office at Boralasgamuwa. There we had a lecture done by PHI about solid waste disposal. After that we went to visit KARADIYANA garbage dump.

             

                It was really new experience to visit a garbage dump. Compared to other dumps it was less smelly. Also it has high biodiversity.

                   This land was previously used by private company for garbage disposal. Now it has been controlled by the waste disposal & management authority.

                  It is one of the largest garbage dump in Sri Lanka. It has an area about 25 acres. It collects garbage from Maharagama, Homagama, Boralasgamuwa, Kasbewa, Kotte & Moratuwa. They are working all 365 days.

                 It is managed under the supervision of Provincial authority & MOH. There are about 50 staff members including  30 rag  pickers, 10 machine operators & the rest in management.

                 The rag collectors are given uniforms, boots & gloves to minimize their exposure to garbage. Also they are given vaccination to prevent communicable diseases among them. They separate the plastic, tin, iron, copper & degradable waste. The recyclable material such as plastic & steel are sold to the buyers.

                  Disposal of toxic material such as industrial waste are banned so that naturally occurring food chains  are preserved in the dump. The larval stages  of mosquitoes & flies are eaten by cranes, craws, & other birds. Spread of garbage by craws is limited by  eagles.

               The cell method is used for disposal. It is minimize the production of methane & the fumes.

             Future projects are to develop the site using modern technology & more staff, to further reduction of methane production, prevention of mosquitoes & other vector born diseases & production of Refusal Derived Fuel which can be used in power plant generation electricity.