The Silent Crisis: The Environmental Impact of China’s Power Plant and the Rise of Chronic Kidney Disease in Sri Lanka

By Y P Prakash

Sri Lanka, the beautiful island nation in the lap of the Indian Ocean, has made headlines for being the prime example of China?s debt-trap. But there is hardly any news about the rise in cases of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Sri Lanka, especially in its north-central region. In fact, CKD is one of the most common diseases in this part of the country, affecting a mostly rural population engaged in agricultural activities.

The north-central region, especially the areas surrounding Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, are the major hotspots for CKD. According to a report published by KI Reports, the prevalence of the disease in this region ranges from 6% to 15%. Other studies report this number to be even higher, at 15?23%. In Sri Lanka, a significant portion of the rural population suffers from CKD, making it a serious public health issue. Some studies and researchers claim that the number of patients is doubling every few years, bringing the total number of people suffering from CKD to more than 150,000.

The situation is grave in rural areas of the country, where hospitals do not have enough medical equipment and other resources to help the ever-increasing number of ailing patients. In these areas, people are usually dependent on groundwater resources as their predominant drinking water source. This also includes other household activities such as cooking, washing the dishes and clothes, etc. Moreover, they are engaged in rice paddy and sugarcane farming, which require them to be in water for longer durations of time. Chronic exposure to water-borne contaminants such as inorganic chemicals, fertilizers, and ash from coal burning is the leading cause of chronic kidney diseases in Sri Lankans.

Many studies have concluded that the groundwater in these areas contains dangerous amounts of lead, cadmium, chloride, fluoride, mercury and even arsenic. The question arises: what is the reason for such high amounts of toxic substances in the groundwater in these areas? The answer is not that simple. While many people like to believe that the chemicals and fertilizers used in agricultural activities are the main sources, the truth is not so conveniently available.

Lead, arsenic and mercury are present in coal, which get mixed with ash and gases during combustion. But a highly significant amount of coal needs to be burned for these heavy metal pollutants to seep into the groundwater, causing kidney failure and CKD in so many people at once. The China-sponsored Norochcholai power plant, which is situated not too far away from the sacred city of Anuradhapura, burns exactly that much coal each day. The coal burning process not only emits large amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs) but also produces fly ash and bottom ash as by-products. Fly ash is made up of fine particles that escape combustion chambers with exhaust gases, while bottom ash is a non-combustible residue that collects at the bottom of the broiler.

Fly ash is a major source of environmental contamination in north-central Sri Lanka. Being smaller than 10 microns, it is easily lifted by the winds and carried away, disrupting agriculture, polluting water supplies and causing various diseases. The areas adjacent to the Norochcholaipower plant have reported many concerning incidents of skin and respiratory diseases, which even newborns are not safe from. Many farmers in those areas have complained about their inability to grow crops due to the high amounts of ash polluting the soil and causing soil erosion. Many residents have reported various health issues such as hearing and vision loss, impairment of the central nervous system, kidney dysfunction and tremors. The significant amount of water pollution in the area has forced the residents to drink only bottled water, avoiding groundwater contaminated by coal dust.

The north-central districts, not too far away from the Norochcholai power plant, receive a significant amount of fly ash carried by the winds. In addition, ecologists also believe that there?s a good chance the clouds carrying harmful gases and dangerous acid deposits will move towards these regions with the wind. The toxins then get mixed with the local groundwater and freshwater supplies, contaminating anything and everything that uses water, including household chores and agricultural activities. Researchers have warned the authorities of the threat the Lakvijaya Power Plant poses to the environment; however, no action has been taken yet.

Many local residents believe that the government is under pressure from Chinese investors to keep any negative news involving the plant under wraps. The plant was constructed in three phases at an estimated cost of USD 1.35 billion. However, since its inception, the power plant has faced frequent problems and breakdowns, incurring major financial losses for the CEB. It is worth noting that the plant has received backlash from the locals as well as environmentalists, who claim that the plant was constructed without carrying out any proper ecological impact survey.

While the ordinary people remain unaware of the actual reason behind the epidemic-like situation of CKD, the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka has announced that they are ?gifting? water-treatment plants to the common people in various districts like Matale and Kandy. China has also ?gifted? the National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa, a kidney disease hospital. It has also ?donated? eight mobile labs to Sri Lankans to provide kidney disease testing in remote areas of the country. In addition, China gave the Joint Research and Demonstration Center for Water Technology (JRDC) to the University of Peradeniya to find out possible causes of kidney disease in water sources. Such acts of nobility raise alarm about the true intent of China and its generosity.

China has been portraying itself as a reliable partner and a true friend of Sri Lanka, but this is far from the truth. Not only has China forced our country into a debt trap, but it has also been exploiting our natural and human resources for a long time. China is a wolf in sheep?s clothing, ready to pounce when the prey is naively nibbling on the grass. The people of Sri Lanka must strongly oppose this cunning strategy of China to win over their hearts while damaging their kidneys, lungs and other organs.