By Sarah Hannan More than 60% of the tourist hotels, factories, and other business establishments built along the rivers in the country have not obtained the necessary environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports, the Ministry of Environment revealed. “A considerable amount of pollution was observed surrounding the country’s 103-river network. One of the initiatives that I have been keen on implementing is the ‘Surakimu Ganga' project, for which Cabinet approval was signified on Tuesday (3),” Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera told The Morning. The Minister further noted that the objective of this project is to take steps to conserve all river basins by preventing the pollution currently occurring in the river system. This programme will cost Rs. 32 billion. Accordingly, legal action will be taken against those who pollute the river in the future. Some of the institutions that obtained environmental reports are also noted to not comply with the environmental recommendations, causing considerable damage to the environment around them. "Necessary regulatory measures are being taken to enforce the current environmental policy. Surveys surrounding river banks are currently underway to identify the illegal constructions that have taken place, threatening the biodiversity of sensitive environments," Central Environmental Authority Director General P.B.H. Jayasinghe told The Morning.