More forest being cleared, for corn and gardens

By Saliya Kumara Gunasekera

Environmentalists charge that a large extent of the Nachchaduwa river forest reserve is being cleared with the help of bulldozers, leaving large depressions on the river bund. They contend that Wildlife and Conservation Department officials have turned a blind eye to the brazen destruction of this and other forest reserves in the Anuradhapura district.

Garden

Not only is the clearing up process adversely affecting certain inflows to the river, but the Department of Irrigation has deemed it conducive to lay out a garden inside the forest reserve.
Irrigation Department sources told LAKBIMAnEWS that the department hopes to levy a fee via issuing tickets to those wishing to visit the gardens. This will also force the inhabitants in the environs of the Nachchaduwa river to pay a sum if they are to use the river for bathing purposes, etc., in the future.

This was yet another move by the authorities in their attempt to sell the country’s water resources to make a tidy sum on the side, the environmentalists charged.

Wildlife and Conservation Department sources told LAKBIMAnEWS that already over 1,000 acres of the Nachchaduwa forest reserve have been cleared. It has also come to light that certain parties in the Irrigation Department are planning to set up corn cultivation in these cleared areas.

It has been further alleged that certain Wildlife and Conservation Department officials have been in the habit of demanding Rs.5000 each from the villagers of Nachchaduwa with the promise to give them lands to cultivate corn.

Pollution

Despite the Irrigation Department having cleared up forest land, they are yet to show even an iota of interest in cleaning up the river. Visitors are often known to litter the surroundings. Empty bottles of alcohol left behind by the revellers have turned these environs into a health hazard whilst plastic cans and bottles pollute the Nachchaduwa river.

Our attempts to obtain a comment from Director General of the Irrigation Department, Dr.G.G.A. Godaliyadda failed as he told us that he is very busy and has no time to talk.

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