The story that Beira Lake is being cleaned with Nahil's money is a lie.

It has been confirmed that reports circulating in mainstream and social media networks, stating that leading businessman Engineer Nahil Wijesuriya will provide full financial sponsorship for a special short-term technical project to clean the Beira Lake in Colombo, are completely false. Misinterpreting facts that emerged during a discussion held at the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple, widespread publicity was created in society that this financial sponsorship would be provided for the initial phase of flushing out the polluted water in the lake using seawater.

When inquired about this from Mr. Nahil Wijesuriya's coordinating secretary, he emphasized that Mr. Wijesuriya has not agreed to provide any financial assistance for the Beira Lake cleaning project. However, the secretary clarified that Mr. Wijesuriya has expressed willingness to provide the necessary technical and professional advice series for the successful completion of the project free of charge.

The Media Secretary to the Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Mr. Eranga Gunasekara, also confirmed that these news reports are inaccurate and stated that the relevant social media posts are not official announcements issued by the Ministry or its officials. He further mentioned that although a proposal was submitted by a businessman for the Beira Lake cleaning project, it did not include any financial contribution, and the entire cost of all ongoing cleaning activities around the lake is borne by the government. Additionally, the Ministry states that projects such as filling the lake with seawater will not be implemented without a proper technical report and adherence to standards.

As it will take approximately two and a half years to provide a permanent solution to the severe stench in Beira Lake, the government has currently taken temporary measures to quickly alleviate the existing discomfort. The Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation and the Urban Development Authority have already commenced desilting and temporary cleaning activities. Necessary financial allocations for the long-term project, including finding solutions to issues with sewage systems discharging waste into the lake, are also expected to be allocated in this year's budget.

The direct responsibility for maintaining and managing the water of Beira Lake, which has been polluted due to prolonged informal urbanization and human activities, has been assigned to the Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, which holds its ownership. As revealed by Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekara via his official social media account, water samples taken from 35 locations in the lake revealed very high levels of harmful chemicals such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and ammonia. For this reason, government agencies have currently launched a joint operation to clean the lake banks by removing floating debris, waste, and aquatic weeds, and to continuously monitor water quality to identify the root causes of pollution.