Anawilundawa Cleanup Project

Year and Month	Poson Poya day in 2016
Number of Days	One
Crew	Four (Ashan, Vidusha, Prakash & Myself)
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	Bus & Jeep
Activities	Cleanup the Anawilundawa Birds’ Sanctuary
Weather	Excellent
Route	Wennappuwa -> Chilaw -> Anawilundawa Junction -> Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary & back on the same route
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Start the cleaning work as early as possible. It’s better if you can carry water for drinking purpose as there are no any drinkable water source. Be careful when trying to collect the garbage from the lakes while standing at the lake banks. Wear rubber hand gloves, shoes in this kind of activity to avoid some injuries. Categorize the garbage you collect (Polythene, plastic, glass, metal etc.) Make a prior arrangement with local authorities (Pradesheeya sabha/ municipal council) or persons to hand over the garbage. Keep in mind to destroy the garbage properly & not to throw away / keep them in nearby private lands or paddy fields.
Related Resources	Trip reports on : Anawilundawa
Author	Chamara123
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Anawilundawa Cleanup Project

Finally, I decided to write up this report specially thanking Ashan for reminding me and for his eagerness to see this. In my view, this is the time that our Mother Nature is facing a real challenge of surviving from the people who have no heart to give back for the things they gained from her.

About a week before the Poson full moon poya day in the year of 2016, I had a chat with Ashan regarding the hiking plan for poya day somehow; we couldn’t come to a conclusion. We left with no any other option than embarking a cleaning activity in Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary that have been visited by both of us more than couple of times.

Anawilundawa is a land of about 1,397 hectares consisting seven small lakes that inter connect each other, a home for a number of both resident & migratory bird species. The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) declared it a Sanctuary in June 1997 and has been designated an international RAMSAR wetland (the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides a framework for the conservation of wetlands) in August 2001.

Anawilundawa is a famous destination for those who have passion for bird watching & bird photography. It is possible to enter to the Sanctuary by turning left either at Maiyawa junction or Anawilundawa junction when heading towards Puttlam from Colombo.

Prakash & I met up Ashan & his pregnant wife Vidusha, at Chilaw town on the poya day morning. From there we drove along puttlam road to reach Anawilundawa which is 18 km away from Chilaw town. And we didn’t forget to visit few Dansel & filled our packs with eatables.

After parking our vehicle at a three-way junction in the sanctuary, we started collecting garbage by walking along the bund of Anawilundawa Lake. We were able to collect plenty of plastic bottles, liquor bottles, beer cans & polythene bags that were left by visitors as well as nearby villagers.

Inside the sanctuary

It is a Wildlife park

Pregnant lady on duty

A bit of beer cans & glass bottles

International importance – Click to enlarge

The main issue that we face was “where & how to dispose the garbage collected?” And at the same time we were unable to coordinate with any provincial authority/ person to make an arrangement to hand over the garbage as it is a poya day. Finally, we decided to dispose all the all the plastic & polythene items by burning and glass bottles & beer cans by burring at the corner of the sanctuary though it is not the authorized & proper way.

Wrong but, We had no other option

After the cleaning activity, We spent a little time to enjoy the surrounding beauty and returned home with the sheer pleasure of preserving the Mother Nature.