By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
The latest illegal construction to take place in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve has been initiated by UPFA parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, according to propaganda posters put up in the Ratnapura District on a road construction project.
AbeywickremaThe poster displayed in many parts of Ratnapura states that a 5 km road from Imbulkanda to Sooriyakanda on the border of the Sinharaja forest in the Ratnapura District would commence construction from July 27th on a directive issued by the young Rajapaksa.
The road is estimated to cost Rs. 6.5 million and the Highways Ministry has passed the finances.
The Highways Ministry is interestingly under the purview of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
A picture of the propaganda poster put up in Ratnapura on the road project is shown in the newspaper.
Despite complaints made by environmentalists, the Sinharaja Forest Reserve continues to be destroyed with the authorities failing to take any action to protect the forest that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Environmentalists say that while several illegal constructions have taken place in the forest reserve, some areas in the forest have been cleared to make way for so-called tourism projects.
The Sunday Leader is in possession of photographs that show some of the illegal constructions and clearing of areas in the Sinharaja forest.
National Coordinator of the Center for Environment Studies, environmentalist Ravindra Kariyawasam said that complaints have been made to the Environment Ministry since 2008 on the illegal clearing of areas taking place inside the Sinharaja forest and the construction of roads and other structures within the forest reserve.
Unfortunately, the authorities have failed to take any action against the violators and the destruction of the forest reserve continues unabated.
“Everyone passes the buck and the Sinharaja Forest Reserve continues to be destroyed,” he said.
Referring to the road that was inaugurated last week from Imbulkanda to Sooriyakanda, Kariyawasam said that according to the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance, no construction should be allowed within 100 meters from the reserve boundary line.
“However, this road will be constructed on the boundary line. It is a complete violation of the law,” he said.
Ironically, the lawmakers in the country are initiating the construction of the road.
A similar road Kariyawasam noted had been constructed in the Diyaduwa reserve, which is under the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, in the Deniyaya area.
Kariyawasam added that a 14-acre area in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve has been cleared in the Sooriyakanda area for a tourism project.
He said that a swimming pool has also been built in an area called Aranya in the forest. “The swimming pool has no owner. When the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) was informed of the swimming pool they could not find any one responsible for the construction following their investigation,” he said.
Kariyawasam explained that any construction needed to have an environment impact assessment done and an announcement made for the public to respond with any petitions within a 31-day period.
However, these procedures are not been followed and the destruction happens freely, he lamented.
“Sinharaja is one of the primary forest reserves in the world and a study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Orgaization (FAO) in 2010 had ranked Sri Lanka in the fourth spot where the destruction of primary forests is concerned,” Kariyawasam said.
Kariyawasam called on the environment authorities to implement the National Conservation report that had been prepared based on the biological value of the country’s forests.
“It has been years since the report was prepared but it has not been implemented,” he said.
When contacted by The Sunday Leader, the CEA said the Authority did not have any mandate to act against violation of regulations related to forests in the country.
CEA Chairman Charitha Herath said that contrary to the common perception, all environment related issues were not under the Authority’s purview.
He said that the issues related to the violation of the Sinharaja forest was under the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance, which is monitored by the Forest Department. Conservator General of the Forest Department, H. M. P. Hitikanda was not available for comment. A deputy conservator at the Department when contacted said that he was unable to comment on the matter and asked The Sunday Leader to contact Hitikanda for comment.
Source: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/07/31/and-now-a-road-through-the-sinharaja-forest/
The road is estimated to cost Rs. 6.5 million and the Highways Ministry has passed the finances.
The Highways Ministry is interestingly under the purview of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
A picture of the propaganda poster put up in Ratnapura on the road project is shown in the newspaper.
Despite complaints made by environmentalists, the Sinharaja Forest Reserve continues to be destroyed with the authorities failing to take any action to protect the forest that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Environmentalists say that while several illegal constructions have taken place in the forest reserve, some areas in the forest have been cleared to make way for so-called tourism projects.
The Sunday Leader is in possession of photographs that show some of the illegal constructions and clearing of areas in the Sinharaja forest.
National Coordinator of the Center for Environment Studies, environmentalist Ravindra Kariyawasam said that complaints have been made to the Environment Ministry since 2008 on the illegal clearing of areas taking place inside the Sinharaja forest and the construction of roads and other structures within the forest reserve.
Unfortunately, the authorities have failed to take any action against the violators and the destruction of the forest reserve continues unabated.
“Everyone passes the buck and the Sinharaja Forest Reserve continues to be destroyed,” he said.
Referring to the road that was inaugurated last week from Imbulkanda to Sooriyakanda, Kariyawasam said that according to the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance, no construction should be allowed within 100 meters from the reserve boundary line.
“However, this road will be constructed on the boundary line. It is a complete violation of the law,” he said.
Ironically, the lawmakers in the country are initiating the construction of the road.
A similar road Kariyawasam noted had been constructed in the Diyaduwa reserve, which is under the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, in the Deniyaya area.
Kariyawasam added that a 14-acre area in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve has been cleared in the Sooriyakanda area for a tourism project.
He said that a swimming pool has also been built in an area called Aranya in the forest. “The swimming pool has no owner. When the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) was informed of the swimming pool they could not find any one responsible for the construction following their investigation,” he said.
Kariyawasam explained that any construction needed to have an environment impact assessment done and an announcement made for the public to respond with any petitions within a 31-day period.
However, these procedures are not been followed and the destruction happens freely, he lamented.
“Sinharaja is one of the primary forest reserves in the world and a study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Orgaization (FAO) in 2010 had ranked Sri Lanka in the fourth spot where the destruction of primary forests is concerned,” Kariyawasam said.
Kariyawasam called on the environment authorities to implement the National Conservation report that had been prepared based on the biological value of the country’s forests.
“It has been years since the report was prepared but it has not been implemented,” he said.
When contacted by The Sunday Leader, the CEA said the Authority did not have any mandate to act against violation of regulations related to forests in the country.
CEA Chairman Charitha Herath said that contrary to the common perception, all environment related issues were not under the Authority’s purview.
He said that the issues related to the violation of the Sinharaja forest was under the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance, which is monitored by the Forest Department. Conservator General of the Forest Department, H. M. P. Hitikanda was not available for comment. A deputy conservator at the Department when contacted said that he was unable to comment on the matter and asked The Sunday Leader to contact Hitikanda for comment.
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