A special programme by the Presidential Secretariat, themed ‘A Beautiful Beach – An Attractive Tourist Destination,’ was launched last Sunday (9) as part of the Clean Sri Lanka initiative. 

The inaugural beach cleanup event took place at Crow Island Beach in Mattakkuliya, with the participation of key dignitaries, including Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, Western Province Governor Hanif Yusoof, Deputy Minister of Public Security Sunil Watagala, and officials from the tri-forces and the Police. 

The event also saw active engagement from Government and private sector representatives, Non-Governmental Organisations, and local communities. 

Speaking to The Sunday Morning on the programme’s future, the Clean Sri Lanka team emphasised the importance of community involvement in maintaining the beaches with the aim of empowering local residents, hoteliers, and the authorities to take responsibility for long-term cleanliness. 

The team is also focused on mindset change, particularly through school programmes, in order to foster a culture of cleanliness from a young age.

Clean Sri Lanka member Chaminda Jayasuriya stated that one-third of the beach had been cleaned so far, with the entire 1,300 m beach area being divided into three sections. Once the cleanup is completed, the responsibility of maintaining and keeping the beaches clean will be handed over to local residents, neighbouring communities, and nearby hoteliers.

In addition, district committees under the National People’s Power (NPP) network will oversee and monitor maintenance, while local authorities will continue the cleaning process.

Aiming for a complete solution

Jayasuriya emphasised that their goal was not just to clean the beach but to change people’s attitudes towards waste management.

“We are working towards a complete solution for garbage disposal within a maximum of two years. During that period, we aim to solve the entire country’s waste problem,” he stated.

He explained that this initiative involved the support of multiple NPP bodies, including district committees, regional committees, Local Government bodies, and Municipal Councils.

Role of Local Government after elections

Following the Local Government Elections, expected to be held by April, elected officials will be assigned responsibilities for their respective Local Government areas.

Jayasuriya elaborated: “Each elected member of a district division will be accountable for waste management in that area. The mayor will oversee the entire city and work with Municipal Council members to ensure effective maintenance.”

While the officials will be responsible for implementing policies, the actual execution will require the collective efforts of residents, hoteliers, and municipal workers. Tasks will be divided among these groups, but the ultimate accountability will lie with the Municipal Council representative.

Continuous monitoring and resource allocation

Jayasuriya stressed the importance of continuous monitoring to prevent illegal garbage dumping.

“Even residents and hoteliers are keen on maintaining cleanliness. Once we clean the beach area and hand over responsibility to them, they will collaborate with the Municipal Council to sustain these efforts,” he said.

He also noted that while Municipal Councils had workers, the main issue was the lack of proper resource utilisation.

“If a location requires five tractors but only has two, we will provide the necessary resources to make the process efficient,” he added.

Funding and corporate support

Jayasuriya highlighted that private companies – both large corporations and small businesses from rural areas – had come forward with various proposals to provide labour and funding.

The Clean Sri Lanka team is currently evaluating these proposals and directing them towards suitable initiatives.

“Many companies, from big corporations to small rural businesses, have volunteered to participate in these initiatives,” he stated.

Changing mindsets

Jayasuriya pointed out that the biggest challenge was changing people’s attitudes towards waste disposal.

“We need to create a mindset where people no longer dump garbage haphazardly due to a sense of moral integrity. This change will not be easy,” he admitted.

He noted that elderly individuals, in particular, may struggle to change their habits, making it even more critical to implement a long-term approach.

A key aspect of the programme focuses on educating children through schools, as early intervention can help instill responsible waste disposal habits.

“As a long term plan, developing children’s mindsets at an early stage will ensure that they practice proper waste management both in schools and at home. This, in turn, will positively influence their parents,” Jayasuriya explained.

Jayasuriya also emphasised the importance of strict legal enforcement in waste management. Ensuring that existing laws are properly implemented will be crucial in maintaining long-term cleanliness across the country.

A systemic issue

Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Chairman Hemantha Withanage emphasised that Sri Lanka faced a severe waste management crisis, producing over 30,000 MT of waste daily. From this, approximately 7,000 MT is identifiable, but only 3,000 MT is actually collected. The rest is either openly burnt, dumped in unmanaged sites, or left without proper disposal methods.

Sri Lanka does not have a single sanitary landfill and the country’s only incinerator can process just 700 MT of waste per day, which is far from sufficient. Sites like Karadiyana, located near Colombo, function primarily as open dumps rather than proper waste management facilities. Withanage noted that even at these locations, only minimal waste separation occurred, adding that true waste management strategies were lacking.

He critiqued the Government’s approach, stating that the real issue lay not in collecting waste from beaches but in the absence of a structured waste disposal system. He highlighted that Sri Lanka also received waste from other countries, including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Indonesia, further compounding the problem.

According to Withanage, while community-led cleanup initiatives are commendable, they do not address the root causes of pollution. He argued that rather than mobilising people to collect garbage, the Government should focus on developing policies, implementing waste management systems, and enforcing regulations to prevent dumping in the first place.

He further criticised the short-term approach of relying on volunteers for cleanup efforts instead of creating a sustainable national waste management strategy. Without systemic change, he warned that the cycle of dumping and cleanup would be endless.  

Withanage noted that true progress lay in implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and enforcing existing waste management policies. 

“Every country is now moving towards a circular economy, and under such a model, a zero-waste policy is essential,” he said, pointing out that this concept was not new to the incumbent administration, which already had an environmental policy under the NPP which includes a zero-waste policy. However, he criticised the Government for failing to implement and follow through on this policy.