Projects for Social & Economic Development
In a growing economy with mega development and construction projects, ITI offers a leading role in testing and
monitoring services to those projects in maintaining a well-balanced environment for our nation.
On-going Projects
Elephant Early Warning System to mitigate HEC
(An Innovative solution to Manage human elephant conflict)
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People who livesin border villages near jungles frequently suffer from wild elephant attacks, destroying their cultivations, homes/property and in some casestheirlives. The electric fence along the border of the village has solved the issue to a certain extent, but due to some shortcomings in functionality and long-term maintenance, it does not give the expected results to mitigate human elephant conflict (HEC).Whatever the technological solution that has been implemented to mitigate the HEC, the involvement of the community is quite important. The success of the technological solutions will mainly depend on the contribution of the community.
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Metro Colombo Solid waste management project
ITI was assigned to study the quality of surface and ground water before the project was initiated. A team of ITI officials along with the Ministry staff visited the site for water sampling locations and carried out tests for the collected samples for heavy metals, microbials and for chemical and physical parameters at ITI laboratories and the results were submitted to the Ministry.
With the Meethotamulla waste site disaster, finding a dumping site for municipal solid waste was a major issue for the government. The Ministry of Megapolis and Western Province Development initiated the Metro Colombo Solid Waste Management Project to move the solid waste of Colombo to be dumped at Aruwakkalu, Puttlam.
The Karadiyana and Muthurajawela are two other dump sites that have been identified as locations for open solid waste dumping. The leachate generated from these open sites could cause server environmental problems and therefore the leachate has to be treated before it is released to the environment. The leachate characterization is necessary in order to find the contaminant and ITI carried out the initial testing for leachate and the reports were produced to the relevant authorities. The tests were also carried out for sites at Meethotamulla and Kelaniya.
Air Quality Testing at Norchcholai Coal Power Plant
ITI with its state-of-the-art Ambient Air Quality Monitoring facility, which can monitor all the parameters according to recommended methods in the National Environmental (Ambient Air Quality) regulations, monitored the air quality and stack emissions for SOx, NOx, particles, solvents and other dusts and gases. This was the first such air monitoring that has been done for the coal plant after its commissioning in 2011.
Norchcholai Coal Power Plant situated in Kalpitiya, Puttlam is the largest power plant in the island. There were serious allegations on the plant on its discharge of ash, which is air borne and can lead to environmental and health problems.
With the aid of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring facitiliy, ITI has also monitored the quality of air in several projects, Port Access elevation highway project, Bandaranaike International Airport development project, Minipe left bank canal rehabilitation project etc. and also baseline surveys on air quality at industrial zones in North Western and Western Provinces.
Monitoring water at Muthurajawela stockpiling site
River sand mining for construction activities causes a major impact to the environment. To minimize the use of river sand Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation has initiated a project to purify sea sand from offshore sand mining. The offshore sand is pumped to the purifying site and the sea water which is coming along with sand get mixed up with the surface water of the area. The ITI is engaged in monitoring the water of the surrounded area which will be carried out continuously for 15 months.
Baseline study for new bridge over Kelani River
A new six lane bridge over the Kalani River adjacent to Japan Friendship Bridge linking Colombo Katunayake Expressway and Baseline Road is another project initiated by the Sri Lanka Government. A baseline study on noise and vibration, water and air quality was carried out by ITI and the report was submitted to the relevant authorities.
Noise & Vibration monitoring and Noise Modeling in Central Expressway Development Project
Central Expressway is one of the main national development project initiated by the government under the National Master Plan (2007 – 2017). The new road passes through several urban / rural areas and there are many environmental concerns to be solved. One such concern is the high noise generating by the tyres of fast moving vehicles. The Road Development Authority has decided to install noise barriers at identified locations. Identification of locations for noise barriers must be done through noise modeling.
Considering the ITI expertise in noise modeling in past years, RDA has offered the task to ITI on identifying the areas that could be affected. The ITI commenced the initial work on collecting relevant background data and developing contour maps to predict traffic data on Kadawatha to Meerigama (section 1) and Meerigama to Kurunegala (section 2) routes.
Environmental monitoring of Bandaranayke International Airport Development Project Package B Phase 2
ITI was awarded the environmental monitoring of Bandaranaike International Airport Development Project through a bidding process. An Environmental Management Plan has to be developed after monitoring the noise and vibration, air and water quality of the vicinity. The Electro Technology Laboratory with the assistance of Chemical and Microbiology Laboratory and Environmental Technology Section completed the pre-construction stage monitoring and will be engaging in monitoring the entire project period of two and half years.
In addition to monitoring work, a crack survey was done to identify the cracks in the surrounding buildings.
Elimination of Polychlorinated biphenyls in equipment
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), a probable human carcinogen and classified as a persistent organic pollutant, is banned by the United States Congress in 1979 and by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2001. The Stockholm Convention has set a target of phasing out the use of equipment containing PCBs (e.g. transformers, capacitors or other receptacles containing liquid stocks) by 2025, and to treat and eliminate the recovered PCBs by 2028. Being a member country, Sri Lanka also has set a goal for Environmentally-Sound management and disposal of PCB wastes and PCB-contaminated equipment in the country under Ministry of Mahaweli and Environment. With reference to this, ITI has entered into a contract with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, to collect samples, analyze and label the transformers.
Several sampling rounds were carried out and the analysis was carried out according to international standards ASTM and AROCHLOR. The final report was submitted to UNIDO.
Completed Projects
Development of noise model for the proposed wind power plant in Mannar
Sri Lanka Electricity Board has proposed to implement a wind power station in Mannarin keeping with green energy policies and to meet the energy requirement of the country. Thisfirst ever large scale plant will consist of 50 wind turbines which is able to add 100 MW of power to the National Grid.
Noise and Vibration Measurement at Upper Kotmale power plant
The power house of Upper Kotmale Hydropower Plant is located underground in Niyamgamdora. The two 50 MW generators and the two turbines were stationed in the powerhouse along with transformers and gas insulator switchgear (GIS) substation. The turbine rotates at a speed of 600 rpm at full load generating a sound and vibration.
Implementation of rain fall monitoring network
The automated rain gauges developed at ITI are able to monitor the rain fall and transmit the data to the control room from monitoring points. It was realized that heavy rain falls during a short period of time as the main cause for landslides. Thus, automated rain gauges are identified as suitable instruments for monitoring landslides.
