Parliamentary Committee calls for urgent plan on Norochcholai ash disposal

The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Resource Sustainability has called on officials to quickly create a plan for safely disposing of ash from the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Power Plant. This directive was issued during a Committee meeting in Parliament on March 17, led by Member of Parliament Hector Appuhamy, as reported by the Department of Communications of Parliament. The meeting highlighted concerns about the quality of coal imported to Sri Lanka for energy production, which has led to a significant increase in ash produced during electricity generation. The Committee warned that improper disposal of this ash could harm the environment in the future. Officials were tasked with developing a plan, guided by the District Secretary of Puttalam, to address this issue. They were also encouraged to explore ways to recycle the ash for manufacturing purposes and proposed that any profits from these products be used for community welfare projects benefiting those impacted by the power plant. Additionally, the Committee asked the Central Environmental Authority to provide a detailed report on any water and air pollution linked to the Norochcholai Power Plant. The North Western Provincial Environmental Authority was requested to respond within two weeks to questions and issues raised by the Committee regarding the plant. Representatives from the North Western Provincial Environmental Authority noted that, despite the increase in ash output, the plant's filtration system is adequate to handle it. Various topics, including the granting of environmental protection licenses for the power plant, were thoroughly discussed. The meeting included Committee Members and Members of Parliament Kings Nelson, Roshan Akmeemana, Attorney-at-Law Chithral Fernando, Susantha Kumara Navaratne, Kitnan Selvaraj, and Upul Kithsiri.