$38 Mn Project to Tackle Mercury Pollution and Waste Management

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has launched a US$38 million project aimed at strengthening mercury and waste management while addressing two of the country's key environmental challenges, the Ministry of Environment announced.A key objective of the programme is to strengthen the monitoring of dangerous chemical substances used in agriculture by improving analytical and regulatory capabilities.The project will also accelerate the phase-out of mercury-containing medical equipment in the healthcare sector in line with the obligations of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. In addition, it aims to introduce safer technologies to control persistent organic pollutants generated through the improper incineration of medical waste, an issue that has raised environmental and public health concerns globally.The Ministry of Environment is implementing the project with technical assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).As part of the initiative, state-of-the-art analytical laboratory equipment designed to strengthen Sri Lanka's chemical management monitoring system was officially handed over during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Environment today.