COLOMBO : At the weekly progress review meeting held on 15th August at the Ministry of Environment, the Minister of Environment Engineer Naseer Ahamed gave instructions to the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to further strengthen the environmental regulatory agencies.
According to the instructions given earlier by the Minister of Environment to implement a program to solve the local environmental problems at the ground level, the Environmental Authority (CEA) has taken action to hold a ten-day training workshop on environmental conservation and regulation for 248 Development Officers attached to the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Authority through Zoom technology.
Accordingly, a workshop is scheduled to be held from August 23rd covering the subjects such as, the basic concepts of environment, law for environmental conservation, natural resource management, environmental impact assessment and project approval, environmental pollution control, environmental education, environmental protection permit process and standards and sub-measures, waste management and regional environmental protection and management.
The Minister of Environment also stated that the method of forwarding environmental complaints through the website of the Central Environmental Authority should be urgently improved.
The minister also advised to take necessary steps to increase the income of the Central Environmental Authority and to submit a proposal to establish a laboratory with all necessary facilities for water quality analysis.
The minister inquired about the contribution of environmental pilot students who have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Environmental Pilot Program, to environmental conservation after they leave school. The Central Environment Authority informed that they have been referred to environmental conservation activities through the “District Environmental Forums of Environmental Pilot Presidential Medal Winners” and are in constant contact with them.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Environment, Engineer Hon. Naseer Ahamed which was also attended by Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, S. Amarasinghe, Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority, Director General of Central Environmental Authority P. B. Hemantha Jayasinghe and other senior officials of the Ministry of Environment and the Central Environmental Authority
