EU and UNOPS support Sri Lanka’s first waste collection tracking system in Batticaloa

10 August 2015 02:34 am Views - 3222

Supported by the European Union (EU), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has partnered with Mobitel Sri Lanka to establish a modern tracking system in the Batticaloa District to monitor the waste collection vehicle fleet of the Local Authorities. 

These interventions were carried out with the financial assistance that is being provided through the European Union Support to District Development Programme (EU-SDDP), with a total financial envelope of EUR 60 million. The programme aims to support the Government of Sri Lanka’s thrust for economic and social development in seven conflict-affected districts covering half a million people.

The Local Authorities in the Batticaloa District were faced with significant challenges in managing their waste collection due to limited monitoring mechanisms and inadequate resources. In a step towards addressing this issue, the UNOPS has joined hands with Mobitel Sri Lanka to support eight Local Authorities in establishing a system to track waste collection. The intervention will benefit close to 400,000 people. This is the first time in Sri Lanka that such an innovative process in solid waste management has been deployed. 

Commenting on this pioneering project Libuse Soukupova, Head of Cooperation for the EU in Sri Lanka stated, “Establishing an efficient and sustainable integrated solid waste management system requires appropriate technical solutions, sufficient organisational capacity and co-operation between a wide range of stakeholders. In this regard, I am delighted that the waste management fleet tracking system, M-Track, is assisting Local Authorities in the Batticaloa District to increase efficiency and productivity while eliminating unauthorized use, wasted time and loss of money.”

The user-friendly waste management fleet tracking system called M-Track provides information on location, vehicle route, speed, millage, parking time, fuel consumption, engine on/off status and schedule delays/adherences. The system allows Local Authorities to improve efficiency of staff operations and waste collection.
The UNOPS organised a training programme in July for staff from eight Local Authorities to launch and educate them on the M-Track system. The training was carried out by Mobitel Sri Lanka. The Local Authorities with the assistance of the UNOPS have already developed proposed route schedules and maps for waste collection.

Expressing his view on the system, a Development Officer responsible for solid waste management operations in a Local Authority said, “The M-Track system will help us to monitor waste collection which is a current challenge for the Local Authorities. Historical playback records and mileage reports of the collection vehicle will definitely allow us to plan for improved effectiveness of our waste collection system. This will also help us to have better relationship with our staff because there will be no issues of mistrust.”

Under the EU-SDDP framework, the UNOPS is contributing to the overall programme objective through the construction and rehabilitation of social infrastructure and specific capacity building activities in the Batticaloa, Mannar and Vavuniya Districts to benefit more than 600,000 people. In Batticaloa, the UNOPS works closely with Local Authorities to establish an efficient and sustainable integrated solid waste management system.