Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Experts prepare report for Minister on controversial road through Sinharaja

A group of experts will submit a comprehensive report on the much discussed controversial construction of a road through the Sinharaja rainforest, when Environment Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa returns from New York next week.

A six-member committee is working on the comprehensive report. They are also seeking the assistance of two university lecturers who are experts in fauna and flora. "This will help us to give a comprehensive and detailed report," one of the members said.

Central Environment Authority Chairman, Charitha Herath told The Island yesterday that the CEA has identified lands belonging to the Sri Lanka Land Reform Commission and those lands will be shortly handed over to the Forest Department to be turned into a forest buffer zone.

The Island learns while the CEA is to receive the final report on the inquiry into the controversial construction of the road through the Sinharaja forest reserve in a week’s time, the Environment Ministry is making immediate arrangements to acquire the lands adjacent to the rain forest to serve as its buffer.

CEA Chairman Charitha Herath said the Authority would follow the recommendations made by a committee of officials representing the Ministry of Environment, CEA and the Forest Conservation Department, probing the controversial road construction through the World Heritage Site.

The interim report by the committee has suggested that another committee comprising officials of the Forest Conservation Department, Land Reforms Commission, CEA, the Divisional Secretariat and the Pradeshiya Sabha also be appointed to look into the issue.

No comments:

Post a Comment