Environmentalists warn of imbalance in Sri Lanka
Copyright 2000, United Press International
September 9, 2000
Environmentalists in Sri Lanka have cautioned political parties that the election campaign could lead to serious ecological imbalance in the country.
According to ecologists, the political parties have begun using material that is not biodegradable for propaganda purposes. These would add to existing non-biodegradable substances already in circulation in the country.
All political parties are using plastic and polythene for making flags and banners that are put up for publicity.
Almost every intersection in the capital has been decorated with blue, green and red polythene wrappers.
The blue represents the ruling People's Alliance, the green is the color of the opposition United National Party and the red is the leftist Janatha Vimukti Perumuna.
Despite instructions by the Election Commission to remove posters and banners, political parties and candidates are going ahead with their campaign on walls along roads. All these posters, banners and flags will be discarded after the October 10 parliamentary elections.
A local English daily, The Island, has quoted Dr Ajantha Perera, founder of the national program on recycling solid waste, as saying that thousands of tons polythene was left behind after the local elections last year.
Dr Perera said that heaps of leftover polythene were causing serious harm to the environment and to the health of the people in Sri Lanka.
"A survey indicated that more than 25,000 tons of polythene was added to the environment during the provincial council elections," Dr Perera said. "This time it will be worse."
Ecologists claim that use of non-biodegradable substances could lead to soil infertility, over spilling of drainage due to blocked drains and underground sewerage system, increase in the population of mosquitoes and other harmful insects.
As the country does not have a proper system for disposal of such harmful non-biodegradable substances, the local authorities burn polythene bags and other plastic items. "The fumes coming out of the fire are toxic to the health of human beings and animals, but politicians do not realize this," another environmentalist said.
Nature conservationists point out that none of the parties contesting parliamentary elections have given any thought to protecting the environment. "There is no mention of environment as an issue in the eection manifesto of the any of the parties. For politicians the environment is not a priority," a conservationist said.