By Gazala Anver
Photo By Sanjeewa Kaviratne
Photo By Sanjeewa Kaviratne
UNP Central Province Chancellor, Sanjeewa Kaviratne, alleges that an area of 10 acres has been cleared in Knuckles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for the construction of a hotel.
The land, which initially belonged to the Land Reform Commission, was transferred to the Forest Department in 1994. Kaviratne alleges that the former land owner worked in the Forest Department and sold it to the current owner, a businessman in Beruwala. The area however, under the purview of the Rattota Pradeshiya Sabha, Matale district, has been gazetted as a ‘sensitive area’, Kaviratne said. Whether state owned or private land, a permit has to be obtained from the Central Environment Authority (CEA), to either build on or cultivate the land.
Chairman CEA, Charitha Herath, however said that the CEA has not received any request for permission to build in this particular area. “We do not know anything about this project,” he said.
Environmental lawyer, Jagath Gunewardena, said that according to Section 3(a) of the Forest Conservation Ordinance, the area has been declared as the Knuckles Conservation Area under Section 24(c) and 24(d) of the National Environment Act.
“Other areas which are state land are protected under Section 20 of the Forest Conservation Ordinance. Even if it is outside the conservation area, according to the gazette of 22 May 2008, under the Soil Conservation Act, this whole area is part of the soil conservation area and is therefore a sensitive area,” he said, adding that as per Part Three of the regulations issued under the National Environment Act and in Gazette Extraordinary 772/22 of 24 June 1993, it means that this hotel has to obtain environmental clearance irrespective of the number of rooms.
“If the CEA says they are not aware of this, then it may be illegal. They have powers under Section 24 B, of the National Environment Act to issue a directive to immediately suspend all work, and if such directive is not heeded, it can be enforced as a court order,” he said.
Chairman of the Rattota Pradeshiya Sabha, Matale district, T. D. Jayathissa also stated that they had “not been informed” of a hotel being built in the area in question.
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