Environmentalists charge that a hotel and golf course are to be constructed in the Uva Province by clearing 628 acres of the Soragune forest. The project has been given the green light by the Board of Investment (BOI) and entrusted to Alpha & Omega Developers (Pvt) Ltd.
The hotel/golf course is to be constructed in an area close to the Badulla and Haldummulla divisional secretariats, adjacent to the Kalkan oya, claimed Banduranga Kariyawasam of the Sri Lanka Haritha Project. The Kalkan oya serves more than two-thirds of the needs of the Weli oya water project which nurtures 28 tanks during both the yala and maha harvest seasons, serving 3000 acres in all. Thus, ultimately, the Weli oya water project is served by water resources that originate from the Soragune forest.
Further, the Soragune forest also provides water to the Udawalawe and Gal Amuna projects, said environmentalist, Ravindra Kariyawasam.
It is also said that an elephant path connecting Udawalawe and Bogahapitiya runs through Soragune forest which falls under the purview of the Department of Wildlife and Conservation and the Soragune devale.
“If this hotel project goes ahead, then its waste matter could pollute Kalkan oya. If the golf course is created it would lead to the destruction of invaluable flora and fauna,” said Banduranga Kariyawasam. The twin projects could also pave the way for a sharp increase in human-elephant conflicts warned the environmentalists.
President of the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) Charitha Herath told LAKBIMAnEWS that the CEA has already sought an environmental impact assessment report from the firm in charge of the project, adding that if the report reflects any harm to the environment, the CEA will take all the necessary measures to halt the project in its tracks.
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