• Spl. dedicated task force of stakeholders including CMC appointed  

The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) stated that a joint programme has been launched to clean the Beira Lake and that there has been considerable improvement so far.

It was reported recently that the strong stench emanating from the Beira Lake has become a serious issue and that there were difficulties in operating the hotels and other establishments around it.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, CMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Engineering Services), R.D.S. Rohana said that while the issue is a broad one that has built up over a long period, a special task force dedicated to the Beira Lake has now been appointed, with the CMC and several other parties as members, in order to make the necessary arrangements for its cleanup. 

“There are several parties who are in this task force. We have launched a programme, and there is considerable improvement,” he said.

The Western Province Solid Waste Management Authority said that it had received numerous complaints about the stench from the Beira Lake, with some hotels and businesses forced to close and residents claiming that the smell has made nearby homes unbearable. To tackle the situation, the Authority had stated that a comprehensive cleanup plan is underway, with short-term, medium-term, and long-term programmes in place.

The Beira Lake, a man-made Lake in the heart of Colombo, was once spread across about 1.65 square kilometres (km) a century ago. Today, due to various factors, its size has shrunk to around 0.65 square km. The Lake is surrounded by several major businesses and remains a central feature of the city.