A once-celebrated waste management facility in Dambulla, developed with an investment of Rs. 650 million and hailed as a model of environmental innovation, has reportedly become completely inactive raising serious environmental concerns.
The Dambulla Waste Management Facility, which had previously transformed the region’s approach to sustainable waste disposal, now stands abandoned.
Launched with advanced Japanese technology, the project once boasted organic fertiliser production, safe hospital waste disposal, a polythene incinerator, and even eco-tourism initiatives under the banner Pivithuru Arana.
However following mismanagement and administrative lapses, the site has deteriorated rapidly.
The protective iron fencing has been dismantled, bamboo plantations cultivated for composting have been destroyed, and the electric vehicles used to transport visitors around the site now lie in disrepair.
With operations ceased, local authorities have reportedly resumed dumping waste into nearby forest areas, including the Digampathaha Reserve.
Residents and environmentalists warn that this has led to wild animals, including elephants, scavenging through garbage, posing a serious threat to both wildlife and biodiversity.
This mirrors a dark chapter from the past, when garbage from Dambulla city was previously dumped in forest reserves, resulting in the deaths of wild animals and widespread environmental damage. That crisis had prompted public protests and led to the facility’s original launch.
Dambulla Mayor Wasantha K. Rajamanthri has blamed the previous administration for poor oversight and noted that maintaining the facility has become increasingly difficult due to a shortage of trained staff.
Meanwhile, officials from the Central Environmental Authority, the Department of Wildlife, the Forest Conservation Department, and the Dambulla Municipal Council say discussions are underway to revive the project.
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