The plight of the Crow Island Beach

Nestled in the north-west corner of Colombo city, in Modara—a location where one would scarcely expect it to be—is a once-beautiful stretch of sandy coastline with a fantastic view of the ocean. An area that could potentially rival Sri Lanka’s finest down-south beaches, without any of the travel hassle. By almost all counts, Crow Island Beach should be known by one and all.

Yet, why is this beach seldom spoken of and, in fact, hardly even recognized? The sad truth is that, for all its potential charm, Crow Island Beach, in its theoretically fabulous locale, is overrun with trash.

In an ideal world, being situated near the mouth of the Kelani River would make the area a picturesque natural haven—all sunshine and foamy seas. However, humankind had other plans, and the Kelani River now holds the unfortunate title of Sri Lanka’s most polluted river. Tons of man-made waste flow down the river daily, polluting not only the ocean but also having a disastrous effect on the nearby beach at Crow Island.

At a recent beach clean-up effort jointly organized by the Rotaract Clubs of Colombo Uptown, University of Colombo Faculty of Arts, and University of Kelaniya, together with Clean Ocean Force, a very disturbing reality became evident. The waste collected at the beach was beyond imagination, with much of the beach inundated with garbage of countless different categories.

From clothing, slippers, and plastic to medical waste, food packaging, and even tyres, the beach was in such a state that it was highly dangerous to walk through without covered shoes. This trash, which washes up, does not merely settle on the coastline; it has encroached significantly up the sand, leaving a long, ominous heap of garbage spanning a depressingly large area.

Sadly, it was revealed that waste not only flows down the river, but that people have also started using the area as a dumping ground for all sorts of refuse.

While our clean-up efforts were valiant and allowed us to collect and responsibly dispose of an astounding 467 kilograms of trash in just one morning, it barely scratched the surface. Massive amounts of garbage still pollute this once-beautiful beach.

However, efforts such as ours do make a difference. The beach regularly sees praiseworthy clean-up initiatives led by individuals and organizations striving to protect this ecosystem. Through combined efforts, much trash is removed from the area weekly. The Kelani River continues to pump all manner of refuse, debris, and junk into the ocean, which subsequently washes ashore, but these clean-ups manage to prevent the beach from being completely overwhelmed by garbage—at least in certain sections.

The tragedy unfolding at Crow Island Beach is a shame and a stark reminder of how we humans are sending our Earth to the grave. This planet we live on is the only one we have, and its delicate ecosystems are slowly but surely being degraded to the point of collapse. We may not notice it in our everyday lives, but places like Crow Island Beach are closer to our doorsteps than we think. Without urgent action, we may soon find similar conditions on even our finest beaches.

Remedial efforts can still be taken, and it is not too late to save our seas, rivers, and beaches. But the clock is ticking, and it is time we act.

– Rtr. Amindha De Alwis