Expressways shoved through wetlands and now we face floods, group says

By Nadia Fazlulhaq

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An environment group has raised concerns of flooding in areas surrounding expressways, stating that wetlands, river basins and sensitive flood plains have been ignored, blocked and filled during construction.

Environment Conservation Trust Director Sajeewa Chamikara, told the Sunday Times that inland natural fresh water wetlands, such as rivers, streams, marshes, swamps, marine and salt water wetlands such as lagoons, mangroves and man-made wetlands such as paddy fields have been destroyed and damaged while constructing the Southern, Outer Circular and Colombo-Katunayake Expressways.

The recent rains saw flooding in the Welipanne area just outside the Southern Expressway. Pic by Janath de Silva

According to him, the floods caused by recent heavy rains at the Welipenna entrance and the exit on the Southern Expressway and surrounding areas was an example of what lies in store.

He said while building the three expressways, seven wetland areas and five catchments had been completely or partially damaged.
“The Colombo-Katunayake expressway, it goes through Muthurajawela wetland and bordering the Negombo lagoon. This is similar is with the Outer Circular highway where acres of paddy land were destroyed.

“The worst affected is the Southern Expressway with Bolgoda wetland, flood plains and river basins of the Kalu, Gin, Bentara, Nilwala Ganga flood plains and Halwatura wetland in Matara being affected by the construction of the expressway. Wetlands prevent flooding by holding water like a sponge,” he said.

Mr. Chamikara said environmental groups had expressed concern over the possible flooding threat and the lack of flood mitigation strategies.

“We were persistent about the need to build on columns. But officials said it was too late and plans had already been passed. Now even intermittent rains can lead to rivers overflowing and flooding nearby areas. Also, earth-moving and hill-cutting can result in sludge flowing to wetlands and rivers,” he said.

He said though the Katunayake expressway area did not experience heavy floods this time, the blocking of natural streams through cut-and-fill construction could cause long-term harm to the area.

“The highways are located in the south-west monsoon region where heavy showers are expected annually. Authorities should constantly study the impact of weather and use flood and landslide mitigation strategies when constructing the proposed Colombo-Kandy highway,” he said.

The Director of Maintenance Management and Construction Division of the Road Development Authority, T.K. Ranatunge maintained the Kalu Ganga bridge, the Welipenna bridge and the Bentara Ganga bridge had been built in such a manner as to mitigate flooding.
“The bridges were built to prevent flooding to the areas as these areas are prone to floods, while continuing with the expressway construction. It is difficult to determine now that the expressway is causing flash floods,” Mr. Ranatunge said.

The RDA Project Director of the Colombo-Katunayake expressway, M.P.K.L. Gunaratne said his office had not received complaints over flooding or other environmental issues triggered by the construction of the expressway.

The proposed North-East (Colombo-Kandy) Expressway Project (CKH) beginning at Kadawatha on the current Colombo-Kandy (A1) Road links with the Katugastota-Kurunegala-Puttalam (A10) road at Hedeniya and the Kandy-Jaffna road (A9) at Katugastota.
“This road traces traverse river basins and sensitive flood plains that underwent severe floods in May 2010. In order to address the flood issues, construction of a 9km viaduct (overhead road) has been proposed for some sections of the expressway,” the Ministry of Ports and Highways said.

Cleaner, eco-friendly diesel for Sri Lankan vehicles

By Damith Wickremasekara

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High quality Diesel on par with ‘Euro Standard 5’ will be available in Sri Lanka at current market prices, with effect from next month, Petroleum Industries Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa told the Sunday Times.

He said that the objective was to import fuel with the least environmental impact.

The diesel will be introduced to the market as ‘Super Diesel 4 Star’.

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Chairman S. Amarasekara told the Sunday Times, the products will be purchased from the same sources.

‘There will be an additional cost incurred for the imports, but the cost will be absorbed by the CPC,” he said.

He said that the existing Super Diesel had a sulphur content of 500 PPM (parts per million), while the new product’s Sulphur content is 10 PPM, hence it is, environmentally cleaner.

He said that they also hope to improve on the normal diesel with 2,500 PPM, by replacing it with a Diesel of 1,000 PPM Sulphur content. The lower the sulphur content, the cleaner the fuel, hence, less pollution from exhaust fumes.

The ‘Super Diesel 4 Star’ will be beneficial to new vehicles. This would be observed by vehicle owners as they use the range.The new stocks have already been arriving in the country.

Sampur EIA report out soon

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The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the Sampur Coal Power Project will be published ‘very soon’ after which tenders will be called to purchase generating equipment for the plant, said M.M.C. Ferdinando, Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Energy.

The project has been crippled by delays from the time it was signed in 2006, a full eight years ago. But Mr. Ferdinando said differences between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) over details in the price purchase agreement (PPA) have been cleared up. The final documents were signed in October 2013.

The EIA is still in the process of being completed after which a supplier has to be found for equipment, including the plant itself. The joint venture firm, Trincomalee Power Company Ltd., is responsible for this phase of the initiative.

“The EIA has to be completed before tendering,” Mr. Ferdinando said. “If it says that the project cannot be done here, we will stop the thing. ““The company is required to go for open bidding,” he continued. “Tenders will be called from international suppliers. It has been agreed that we will go for the most efficient, state-of-the-art plant.”

The proposed 500MW plant is now expected to be ready by 2018. The cost of the coal will be met by the Sri Lanka Government. There is consensus that the most superior quality of coal will be used.

Meanwhile, the Chinese-built Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant continues to meet 33.76 per cent of the country’s energy needs. But the quantity of electricity generated by hydropower reservoirs has risen to 35.1 per cent as a result of rains. Reservoir storage has also increased to 45.4 percent.

Overall, 61.1 percent of consumption was met this week by thermal power, including coal. These figures, which are published on the CEB website, do not include generation from private small power producers (mini hydro, solar, dendro, biomass).

Wind power projects in Mannar run into storm

By Namini Wijedasa

Energy experts say contracts may be given to political henchmen, consumers will pay more

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A proposal to distribute lucrative wind power contracts to local investors without calling for open tenders has run into a storm with energy experts strongly criticising the move. They fear the contracts will be dished out to political henchmen — a growing practice — and that, under existing terms and conditions, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) will have to buy wind energy from the plants at inflated costs. These prices will eventually be passed on to the consumers who are already paying the highest tariffs in the region.

The latest plans were revealed in a Cabinet memorandum submitted by the Ministry of Power and Energy in April. The document, a copy of which was obtained by the Sunday Times, envisages the setting up of a wind energy park in Mannar to generate 375 megawatts (MW) of power but divides the plan into three segments.
Firstly, the CEB will set up a subsidiary to generate 100MW of wind power. Secondly, 150MW will be generated by individual investors selected through an open competitive bidding process among local developers. Foreign partnership of up to 49 per cent of equity will be permitted, if necessary. Payments for wind energy will be based on competition through the open bidding process.

It is the third provision that has provoked experts to speak out. The memorandum says the final 125MW of power will be produced by local investors to be selected on a first-come first-served basis, and not through open competitive bidding. Foreign partnership of up to 49 per cent of equity has again been allowed.
This segment has been divided into small blocks of 10MW or less and investors are to be paid on a “cost reflective basis”. Industry sources warn that, if prevailing rates are applied, it could be as high as Rs. 22 a unit of electricity. Coal power, which is now the cheapest form of electricity available in Sri Lanka, is around Rs. 9 a unit.

“Why can’t there be open bidding for the 125MW as well?” asked Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan, an Energy and Infrastructure Economist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Colombo. “Not having bidding is likely to pave the way for corruption, favouritism and nepotism. It also deprives the system of being able to obtain the best deals.”

While it is the CEB that buys electricity, it is the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) under the Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy that gives out the licences for the production of electricity from sun, water, wind, and plant material or biomass.

“Wind power equipment prices are decreasing in the international market,” said a senior sector analyst, who did not wish to be identified. “Local interest rates have also gone down significantly. The only way to find out the most reasonable price for these projects is to have a competitive bidding process.”
“Even where bidding is concerned, I would like to see a price cap because we don’t need wind energy at just any price,” he continued. According to this analyst’s calculations, wind energy can be sold at around Rs. 12 a unit.

Mannar is one of the best sites for wind power, as confirmed by a 2011-2013 study funded by the Asian Development Bank. Turbines there are likely to generate electricity for 38 per cent of every year. In comparison, Puttalam has an annual capacity factor of 32 per cent and Hambantota 17 per cent. Both locations already have wind turbines, with independent producers selling a unit of electricity to the CEB at a fixed price of Rs. 22.