CEA appeals to devotees not to bring polythene or plastic while on pilgrimage to Sri Pada

By Ifham Nizam

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has urged all devotees visiting Sri Pada to refrain from disposing of garbage, especially polythene and plastic.The Sri Pada pilgrimage season commenced on December 26, coinciding with the Unduvap Full Moon Poya Day, and is set to conclude on the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day of 2024.

P.B. Hemantha Jayasinghe, Director General of the CEA, highlighted that Sri Pada sanctuary boasts rich endemic plant species and serves as a habitat for numerous indigenous animals. “It is our collective duty and responsibility to safeguard this sensitive environmental zone. Improper disposal of waste, particularly polythene and plastic, harms the unique biodiversity of this area and contaminates its water sources. Additionally, waste discarded here travels along watercourses, polluting rivers, streams, and eventually reaches the sea,” he emphasized.

Jayasinghe urged devotees not to carry polythene or plastic when visiting Sri Pada. However, if unavoidable, he stressed the importance of proper waste disposal outside this ecologically sensitive area.

He encouraged devotees to either carry any generated waste back home or to deposit it at waste collection centers situated at the entry points of the main access roads to Sri Pada (Nallathanni Road and the two roads from Ratnapura area), which are maintained by local government bodies, private institutions, and volunteer organizations.