The Minister of Water Supply and Drainage, Al – Haj A. L. M. Athaulla, and Australian High Commissioner Dr Greg French jointly commissioned a wastewater treatment plant in Hikkaduwa, Srilanka.

The plant was constructed as part of the Hikkaduwa Coastal Zone Waste Management Project and was a collaborative effort between the National Water Supply and Drainage Board and Hikkaduwa Urban Council and the Australian Government, which contributed $A4 million (about Rs. 360 million) towards this project.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr French said that “The Hikkaduwa Sewage Treatment Plant is a sustainable, environmental friendly liquid waste management system that will help to reduce the adverse environmental impact in the area.” Australian financial and technical support focused on developing sustainable solid waste management practices and the construction of a sewage and wastewater treatment plant for the Hikkaduwa area. In partnership with local NGOs, the project has created livelihood opportunities and health benefits to the poorer sections of the Hikkaduwa community.

Dr French added that “This project is a good example of the strategy behind the Australian aid program. It uses simple, cost effective technology that has been developed in Australia, and applies it to the local context. It has also taken into account, in an integrated fashion, the key economic, social and environmental issues facing Hikkaduwa and has done so in a consultative manner with all stakeholders”.

A well planned waste management system is a long awaited requirement to address the growing environmental issues in Hikkaduwa. Local authorities, residents, businesses as well as development planners and environmentalists have long been concerned about unplanned and uncontrolled tourism development, polluted stormwater runoff, and poorly treated sewage and disposal of garbage adjacent to watercourses. The project has set in place a sustainable framework for addressing these issues and is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka.

Although Hikkaduwa is a popular tourist destination in the South, many people in the area are living below the poverty line. Through a partnership with a local NGO, the Arthachariya Foundation, the project is also helping to alleviate poverty by turning waste recycling into successful income generating ventures. More than 4000 women are participating in waste management, micro-finance and micro-enterprise programs, which have seen savings of Rs15 million being generated and Rs57 million disbursed as loans.

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