Mar 19, Colombo: The Central Environmental Authority of Sri Lanka is to launch a new waste management program form 24th of March. According to the CEA, the government has agreed to pay 18 rupees tariff for a kilowatt-hour for those who can produce electricity from wastage. This was disclosed at a media briefing held in Colombo by the CEA to announce its new waste management project.

According to the CEA the new program named “Pilisaru” or Green Clean costing over 6 billion rupees, will spread over 3 years and make the country free of garbage by the year 2012. The CEA says that Sri Lanka releases 6,400 tons of solid waste daily to the environment out of which 60% is carbonic. Therefore, the new project intends to accelerate recycling projects to produce compost and biogas in the country, CEA adds.

Also, CEA says that steps will be taken to change the existing laws under the present environmental act upgrade provisions. A new policy will be developed for the solid waste management in the country by August 2008.

The Ministry of Power and Energy meanwhile issuing a press release today said that it hopes to fulfill 10% of the country’s electricity need through renewable energy sources such as waste to power projects during the next decade. The renewable energy authority has agreed to pay an attractive sum for the producers. Those who wish to invest in such projects have to obtain approval from the authority before the end of this month, the sources said.