Abstract:
Industrial water pollution is a significant environmental problem in Sri Lanka, and
the Kelani River is the most polluted river in Sri Lanka. Kelani River is the major
source of drinking water in almost 80% of people in Greater Colombo. Since the
water pollution brings many negative impacts to the community living in the Kelani
River Basin, it is important get their perception on pollution impacts. Therefore, this
study aims to identify community perception on environmental and social impacts
of industrial water pollution in Kelani River. The research approach is selected as
qualitative approach and the case study design has selected as the research design.
The data were collected through semi structured interviews and both face-to-face and
telephone interviews were conducted. The collected data were analyzed by using
content analysis method and presented in detailed textual format. The researcher
could identify the community perception about the environmental impacts and social
impacts of industrial water pollution. The community has a very negative perception
about the overall water quality. The respondents believe that the biodiversity has
degraded in the river due to industrial activities. The respondents have stated that the
water in the river has an unpleasant odor and drinking water sometimes has an
unpleasant taste. Therefore, it can be identified that drinking water is badly polluted
and required an extensive purifying process. Also, the community has a very negative
perception about the effectiveness of the environmental regulations. There are many
sources that release untreated effluents directly and illegally to the river. Therefore,
the pollution mitigation methods and effective regulations should be applied to
protect the river and the community. It can be identified that not only the industrial
activities, but also the community’s activities have affected to the river negatively.
Therefore, all the parties should be concerned about the pollution prevention and
should take actions to mitigate pollution in the Kelani River.
