By Sajeewa Chamikara
Only a small number of large forests still exist on the island at present. This situation has arisen mainly due to two reasons: first being the destruction of many wetland forests in order to make room for commercial crops such as tea, coffee, and rubber during the colonial period, while the second being the further destruction of such forests due to rapidly expanding human settlements in later years.
The end result of such destruction is that Sri Lanka’s entire landmass is covered by just 2.14% of wetland forest at present. In terms of land, this is just 1415 square kilometres. However, much of Sri Lanka’s flora and fauna are concentrated in the wet zone. Nevertheless, just 68% of this forest cover has been designated as protected land. The remaining percentage of these wetland forests are vested with the Land Reform Commission, the State Plantations Corporation, or is privately owned. It is vital that these forested lands are designated as nature reserves and protected.
On October 21, 1988, 11187 hectares of land belonging to the Sinharaja region were designated as a national heritage forest through gazette number 528/14 under the National Heritage and Wilderness Areas Act No. 3 of 1988. Even 22 years afterwards, steps still have not been taken bring these other forests surrounding Sinharaja into the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
There have been numerous plans drafted over the years costing millions of rupees in order to protect this land. Of these plans, the one drafted by the Presidential Task Force in 2004 should be commended as one drafted with the country’s future in mind. As per this plan, Cabinet memorandum PS/CS/26/2004 requested that all land belonging to the Land Reform Commission situated within half a kilometre from the Sinharaja Forest Reserve be handed over to the Department of Forest Conservation as per section 22 (1) e and 44 (a) of the Land Reform Act of 1972.
Though these recommendations have been made, files related to them have been gathering dust for seven years in the Natural Resources Management Division at the Ministry of Environment. According to recommendations made in this cabinet paper, 2508.4 hectares of virgin forest land is supposed to be added to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve. However, all this has been simply limited to the exchange of letters at official level. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Land Reform Commission, Attorney at Law Nimal P. Punchihewa in a letter dated June 22, 2011, has informed the Commissioner General of Wildlife Conservation to, in the interest of conservation of the Sinharaja region, to bring under the Department of Forest Conservation, forest land that belongs to the Land Reform Commission. The letter further states that the commission is entitled to compensation for the land that is recommended to be taken over.
It is disappointing that the Land Reform Commission is demanding compensation to transfer its forest land to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve. One wonders whether the LRC is attempting to safeguard one of the country’s most valuable resources, or whether it is intent on making a sale.
The report of the committee tasked with examining the harm caused to the Sinharaja forest reserve when constructing the road from Ilubakanda to Suriyakanda (the report was handed over to the minister recently) also recommends that forest land belonging to the Land Reform Commission be urgently transferred to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
Despite events standing as they are, it does not seem as if the Department of Forest Conservation or the Ministry of Environment are interested in taking measures in this regard. This has resulted in unprotected forested land around the Sinharaja National Heritage Forest Reserve being used for various development projects. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that there is no control over any of this at present.
Thus, measures need to be taken to not just bring these forests quickly under Sinharaja, but also to provide other valuable forest land situated outside the boundaries of Sinharaja with legal protection so as they could also be brought under the Sinharaja forest reserve. The Morapitiya-Roonakanda, Delgoda, Panagala, Waruthelgoda and Thibbotuwawa proposed forest reserves are connected to Sinharaja. In order to protect the biodiversity of this region, all these should also be brought under Sinharaja and the entire region must be made a protected area.
After these conservation measures are adopted, an area of about a mile or kilometre must be designated around the Sinharaja region in keeping with the National Environment Act. If steps are not taken to establish such a protective zone around the Sinharaja region: regarded as the most biologically diverse in all of Sri Lanka, then one would not be able to contain the adverse effects from all these irregular development activities that are taking place right now.
Forest land at the Sinharaja Forest Reserve border belonging to the Land Reforms Commission that is recommended to be taken over.
Ratnapura District
Murakele Watta - 50.4 ha
Fab Watta - 181.3 ha
Ilubakanda Watta - 567 ha
Morningside Watta - 55.4 ha
Cantor Watta - 130 ha
Gase Watta - 137.5 ha
Gonhela Watta - 137.9 ha
Abarose Watta - 35.4 ha
Backweya Watta - 109.9 ha
Kodurugala Watta - 99 ha
Dambahena Watta - 8.6 ha
Matara District
Enasal Watta - 436 ha
Kurulaga Watta - 188 ha
Beverly Watta - 28 ha
Hemagiri Watta - 40 ha
Galle District
Homadola Watta - 304 ha
http://www.nation.lk/2011/12/04/eyefea6.htm (2nd article on page)
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