HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Fifteenth session, Agenda Item 3
A written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organisation with general
consultative status
SRI LANKA: Lack Of Safe Drinking Water Leading To Upsurge In Health Problems
The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) joins the UN Independent Expert on human rights, water and sanitation, Ms.
Catarina de Albuquerque, in welcoming the landmark resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 28 July 2010 that
recognised water and sanitation as a human right.
Every year, nearly 1.8 million people die from diarrhoeal diseases, including cholera, according to the WHO. Of that
number, almost 90 percent are children under five years old. Up to 88 percent of water-borne diseases arise from unsafe
water supplies and inadequate sanitation and hygiene.
The ALRC is gravely concerned by increasing reports of serious health problems resulting from unsafe drinking water in
Sri Lanka, pointing to the failure of the government to protect and fulfil the right to access to safe drinking water
for the country’s population. Out of the 25 districts in the country, more than 15 districts are seriously affected, at
present.
Some two thirds of the country is considered a dry zone, where people face difficulties to access safe drinking water.
According to the 2008 national census, pipe-borne water coverage in Sri Lanka is around 34%, with the rest of the
population depending on local sources such as wells, hand pump tube wells, small scale rural water supply schemes, rain
water harvesting tanks and surface water bodies: irrigation tanks, canals, streams and springs1. Although the National
Water Supply and Drainage Board has been established to manage and deliver water resources to the public, it is
evidently not functioning effectively in the majority of the country as yet.
It is believed that contamination of water sources, by industry and through agricultural waste and fertilizers, is the
main cause of the growing water-related health problems being reported in the country. A lack of properly functioning
State monitoring mechanisms for the usage of fertilizers combined with the use by farmers of toxic fertilizers in
coconut plantations and rice paddies is creating a wide-ranging problem with possibly serious long term consequences.
The government has taken steps to establish a Pesticide Formulary Committee, but this remains ineffectual to date.
Substances used include superphosphate and 1.6 muriate of potash, as well as Triple Super Phosphate. The level of
cadmium in the domestically produced variety of TSP is significantly over internationally accepted standards. Such
levels of cadmium are believed to be contributing significantly to endemic chronic renal failure (CRF) that has emerged since 2002 in the farming provinces of Sri Lanka. An estimate of
dietary cadmium intake was between 15 and 28 g/kg body weight per week, which are considered to be dangerous levels.2 It
is understood that contamination of Sri Lanka’s water by lead and uranium is also a significant problem, with evident health repercussions.
Given the geographical make-up of Sri Lanka, the knock on effect that contaminated agricultural water can have is
important. Much of the country’s agriculture is located in the central hilly part of the country, which is also the
source of the island’s major rivers. The central region is home to the farming of commercial crops like tea, coffee,
cocoa and staple foods like potatoes and vegetables, as it has uniquely cool and wet climate. This concentration of
agriculture has led to large-scale use of fertilizers and pesticides. Toxic chemicals then enter the county's water
system and are delivered to other parts of the country, for example via the Mahavali, Kalani, Walawe and Kalu, rivers
causing health problems to those who rely on these water sources for their drinking water. For example, the Mahawali
river is the major drinking water resource for many districts in the central, north-central, and north-eastern and
eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. The government ha s taken steps to extend this water supply up to the north, including
Vavuniya and Thrincomally. The Kalani river is the major drinking water source for the capital Colombo and Gampaha the
two most highly-populated districts in the country.
This present situation of pollution of these waters is causing serious problems for large populations in many of these
districts. The water supply to Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara is being supervised by the National Water Supply and
Drainage Board, but in other districts people have to use the unclean water directly from these sources, without any
protection or monitoring
There is some legislation in place, such as the Control of Pesticides Act, No. 33 of 1980 and it's amendment, the
Control of Pesticides (Amendment) Act No. 6 of 1994, which have led to the appointment of a Register of Pesticide and
several Assistant Registers. There is also a Pesticide Formulary Committee for granting license to industries engaged in
the sector and a 'Pesticide Technical and Advisory Committee.' However, it is apparent, given the levels of pollution in
the country’s water-ways, that these are not sufficient or able to prevent serious water contamination.
On August 6, 2010 the parliament approved the Weedicides Control Act, which is aimed at assisting to monitor and manage
importers, produces, dealers and stockers of such substances. As with the entire range of human rights in Sri Lanka,
while there may be laws and committees that look good on paper, the degradation of the fundamental institutions of the
rule of law means that the implementation of laws and the protection of rights remain highly elusive.
The recent increase in the number of persons suffering from renal disease is one of the major health problems in Sri
Lanka. Since 1994, a new form of chronic kidney disease, known as CKDu, has been identified in Sri Lanka, which has
causes that are not yet understood. According to the Annual Health Bulletin 2005, the hospital mortality rate for
diseases of urinary system (which includes kidney diseases) doubled during the period 1980 -- 2005, from 3.1 to 6.5
deaths per 100,000 persons. At the national level, such diseases were the 11th leading cause of hospital deaths in 2005.
However, such diseases were the leading cause of deaths in Vavuniya, the third leading cause of death in Anuradhapura,
the fourth leading cause in Polonnaruwa, the sixth leading cause in Jaffna, the seventh leading cause in Trincomalee and
the eighth leading cause in Badulla district. This follows the pattern of water pollution mentioned above.
According to the statistics available, a significant increase of Chronic Kidney Disease has been observed in recent
years in North Central Province (NCP), which consists of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts. In 2003, in
Anuradhapura District there were 1098 cases and 143 deaths while in Polonnaruwa, 291 cases and 55 deaths. The NCP
contributed 22% of cases and 17% of deaths nationally -- a very high per capita level. The population of the province is
only 6% of the total population of the country. In 2005, the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital alone reported 742 live
discharges and 140 deaths due to chronic kidney disease. It is postulated that there is a strong regional bias and that
paddy farmers are at high risk. The North Central Province has high fluoride content in the ground water, constant
exposure to high concentrations of pesticides, agrochemicals such as fertilizers and the storage of water utilizes
substandard systems and technology.
The national aggregated numbers of those affected are not currently known with precision, but it is estimated that more
than 6000 people are currently undergoing treatment for CKDu. Sri Lanka is a developing nation and its health services
struggle to meet the demands of such problems. Frequent dialysis is required for CKDu patients. The demand is far beyond
the available facilities provided by the government. Although such treatment is available in some hospitals, some
proportion of the cost is to be met by the patient, which is totally beyond the capacity of the poor villagers affected
by CKDu.
The response by the government of Sri Lanka concerning the unsafe water and related health problem needs to be urgent
and comprehensive. It needs to immediately address the problem at its source by effectively regulating, monitoring and
reducing the use of toxic chemicals that enter the water system, both through the industrial and agricultural sectors.
It also needs to extend its safe drinking water services to cover the entire population. It needs to improve the health
services it provides to cater for the growing number of persons requiring long-term health treatment for chronic kidney
disease. It also needs to engage in campaign of public information in order to provide grater disease prevention and
protection for vulnerable groups and the wider population. The Asian Legal Resource Centre urges the Independent Expert
on human rights, water and sanitation and other relevant Special Procedures to monitor this situation closely and
provide recommendations to the government of Sri Lanka to assist it in resolving this problem before it worsens further.
ENDS