By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai Dehiwela.

Letter to the Editor

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Why are we being so stupidly stubborn?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Garbage problem is looming large, so large that it is compounded by court case, dengue and other diseases not to mention about well known complications of breeding flies and pests, polluting water, repugnant smell etc. etc.

In spite of all these, not being able to get rid of the present accumulation of the garbage with the certainty of similar amount collecting in a short time again, we are all sitting pretty tight and doing nothing about it.

Where is our sense of right from wrong? Our sense of cleanliness? Our sense of patriotism?

If it is difficult matter like terrorism or the war, one may be excused. This is such a simple matter and the solution is staring at our face. All our neighboring countries are utilizing the garbage and making gold. We all are ignoring the problem, like ostriches and hoping it will go away. It will not. Or expecting the authorities will take care of it. They can’t, without the active participants of the common man, or rather the women specifically.

All what we need to do is to educate the housewives to dispose the garbage in a systematic way.

The most important thing is to dispose the kitchen refuse and garden refuse through the compost barrels which convert them with absolutely no maintenance cost whatsoever, to fertilizer. The Dehiwela municipality is willing to distribute these barrels at a mere cost of Rs.750/= whereas the actual cost in the market is abut Rs.2500/= The rest of the non bio degradable material can be sold, even un sorted, to the garbage recycling centers. If one is lazy to take them there, one can always sell /give them to bothal karaya who takes them away willingly.

Our neighboring country India is utilizing the kitchen garbage to produce gas for the kitchen cookers. For details see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQNrW8O9I10&feature=PlayList&p=CA0560A67D6CBBFA&index=7

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What better bonus than this, when our gas prize is hitting the ceiling? Imagine, if you don’t have to wait for the kunu karaya and if you don’t have to pay for your gas? Yes, that is possible. All you need is a little = a teeny weenie bit of consideration abut this matter, and little LOVE FOR OUR COUNTRY.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai

Dehiwela.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚