S. K. Kaluarachchi,
Galle Corr.
Wild elephants have invaded the Mahaweli C zone. Areas such as Dehiattakandiya, Nawamedagama, Ihalagama, Pahalagama, Kudagama, Nagastalawa, Serupitiya, Sandamadulla, Webadagama and Wevagama have been affected.
The wild elephants have destroyed cultivated fields, home gardens and the houses of the residents in these areas. All attempts by wild life officers to chase the wild elephants away have failed.
Wimala Jayasinghe, a resident of Nawamedagama said, "It is with great difficulty that we cultivate our lands but wild elephants destroy our harvest. They even destroyed our house. Our two children and I had a narrow escape from a wild elephant". According to H. M. Sriyanka Kumari, her husband had been killed by a wild elephant.
A traditional physician M. P. K. G. Heenbanda, a resident at Ihalagama said "it is a problem to protect our children from wild elephants. They destroy our cultivations and properties. We complained of this to the Mahaweli project co-ordinating committee but no counter measures have been taken".
A. W. A. Premaratna, deputy manager of employment and projects attached to the Mahaweli Authority said "When the farmers face threats from wild elephants we do our level best to help them. We have spent nearly two lakhs and sixty thousand rupees on food for wildlife security officers alone. Security fences are also being erected to protect the cultivation and the villages.
According to T. M. Jayasena, Chairman of the Dehiattakandiya Pradeshiya Sabha he had received a large number of letters from cultivators and at present he has informed parliamentarian Sarath Weerasekera and Senior Minister P. Dayaratna to come up with a solution to this conflict very soon.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=45282
No comments:
Post a Comment