• Environmental management plans to become legally binding

The Central Environment Authority (CEA) has begun taking steps to address environmental damage caused by large- and medium-scale development projects that were halted during the economic crisis.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, CEA Director General Kapila Mahesh Rajapaksha said the CEA executive committee has decided to summon officials responsible for environmental oversight at these projects to discuss mitigation measures. “Each development project has an officer responsible for environmental safeguards. They are not CEA officials, but they are required to identify environmental risks and propose solutions. We are summoning these officers from each project,” he said.

He noted that all development projects approved by the CEA are required to operate under an environmental management plan, which outlines measures to mitigate environmental harm. “In many countries, these plans are legally binding. In Sri Lanka, they were not, and as a result, project proponents often ignored their responsibilities,” he said.

To address this gap, he said amendments have been introduced to the proposed new Environment Act, making it a legal obligation for project proponents to implement environmental management plans. “To mitigate harm from projects that have already commenced but remain incomplete, we are engaging in these discussions,” Rajapaksha added.

During the economic crisis, many development projects were halted, leaving construction sites vulnerable and posing environmental risks.