Weligama and Mirissa are two coastal towns which are increasing in popularity amongst locals and tourists alike. Miles of sandy beaches line the crescent shaped bay with turquoise water lapping against its palm fringed shores. 

An idyll no doubt until you take an early morning stroll on the beach which will leave you dismayed. The many beachside restaurants which line the bay have a brisk trade during the season but most of them despite making money from their prime location fail to look after the environment which gives them that opportunity to earn an income. 

The beach areas outside these beachside restaurants are full of garbage and debris from the night before. Uncleaned tables are left over night while garbage is dumped with gay abandon on the beach. It is not only the restaurants that are guilty of polluting the beach but also visiting local tourists who have no qualms about throwing away empty plastic bottles, food remains and other packaging onto the beach. Ironically on the beach adjacent to a sign which reads ‘Leave nothing on the beach but footprints’ there is a mound of discarded plastic bottles and other debris. 

The main road from Mirissa to Weligama is also no better as piles of rotting garbage line the streets. The word on the street is that due to some internal upheaval within the local government authority, the disposal of garbage has been neglected. Sadly visiting tourists are not aware neither are they interested in the local politics all they are concerned is that soon these piles of rotting garbage will become a health hazard. To expect a transformation overnight is unrealistic but perhaps the beachside bars and restaurants could help keep the beach clean by putting out bins on the beach which can be cleared by them. If this continues unabated then Mirissa will lose its appeal and gain a reputation as a dump instead. 

By Tina Edward Gunawardhana