ECONOMYNEXT – The toxic waters of Beira Lake, in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo are to be treated under an ambitious 2.5 billion rupee plan aimed at making it safer for swimming and other water sports, authorities announced today.
An official heading a task force to clean up the highly polluted, colonial-era, man-made lake said most of the 192 illegal raw sewage dumping points which was blamed at one time for its foul smelling water, have been closed, and action is being taken against those discharging pollutants into the iconic waterbody.
Chatura Kahadawaarachchi, Chairman of the Western Province Waste Management Authority, said dredging of the lake would begin within about three months, alongside the installation of water fountains and aerators to improve oxygen levels and allow inland fish species to thrive again.
Kahadawaarachchi was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony in Colombo today to launch an HSBC-sponsored initiative to clear plastic waste and other floating organic debris from the lake.
The HSBC is providing funding for two solar-powered boats that will be deployed for the clean up for a three-year period.
HSBC’s Sri Lanka chief Mark Surgenor said they will also support Sri Lanka’s cleaner waterways initiative with technical expertise from similar ventures in Hong Kong.
“We have committed to support the Beira Lake Restoration Task force not just with the much-needed funding, but also bringing best practices through our experience with similar projects in other markets that we operate in,” Surgenor told reporters at a ceremony attended by Western Province Governor Hanif Yoosuf.
The boats have a capacity of clearing about 3,000 kilos of waste each day. The boats are battery powered and charged with a roof-top solar panel.
Asked about the current risk to people coming into contact with Beira Lake, Kahadawaarachchi said: “It is at orange, (a notch below red), but what we want to do is make it safer for people.”
Among the biggest polluters of the lake has been the state itself. The main untreated sewage discharge pipes leading to the Indian Ocean had been leaking at three points over the lake, contributing to the intense stench that drove many residents from their apartments at Cinnamon Life.
Kahadawaarachchi said the leaking sewage line near Cinnamon Life has now been repaired, while two others elsewhere are being attended to. (Colombo/Jan19/2026)
