Waste management measures within Kandy municipal council limits and challenges faced by authorities and general public

Abstract

Municipal Solid Waste Management is one of the major challenges in Sri Lanka. The objective of this study was to identify the waste management measures in the Kandy Municipal Council area. Primary data were collected through direct observations and group discussions held with the government officials of Kandy Municipal Council and the general public, while secondary data were gathered from available literature from 2019 to 2020. Collected data revealed, daily waste generation in municipal area was about 176 tons per day, which consisted 75% kitchen wastes, 8% paper wastes, 5% plastics, while other categories were 12%. Among the total waste generated, 88% was collected and only 11% was used for recycling, where a major portion was dumped at Gohagoda dumping site causing many problems to general public. Since 2011, a common bin system has been used, which consisted of 30 official dumping bins built as concrete boxes. According to the ten-year action plan introduced in 2013, a garbage fee was charged monthly from the general public in the municipal area and a fund of Rs.10,000/- was allocated for each Environmental Committee. Sampath Piyasa centers in Gohagoda, Ranawana, and Kandy Car Park were started in 2012. A plastic recycling center was established in 2015 in Gohagoda, which produce plastic chips and pebbles. Further, 20 tons of decaying waste per day was used in the windrow method to produce 1-2 tons of compost fertilizer and sold to the public. Flee market concept and biogas plants were introduced to hotels and hospitals respectively. Public awareness campaigns were organized through schools, Environmental Committees, Shramadana campaigns, dengue programs, workshops and distribution of garbage bins and compost bins were done. Kandy, being a tourist, commercial and a cultural center, waste generation is very high. Lack of support from the floating population is a major challenge in implementing proper waste management.