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Church seeks injunction on Muthurajawela plant

12 Jul 2021

  • Describes wetland as WP’s lung
  • CEB defends 300 MW LNG plant
  • Wetland’s capacity full: CEJ
BY Pamodi Waravita The Archbishop’s House in Colombo will be seeking an injunction order to halt the proposed development of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant at the Muthurajawela Wetland. “The Bishop’s House will be seeking an injunction order this week as reports are saying 100 acres of the Muthurajawela Wetland have been allocated for a LNG plant by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). The public were given 30 days to give their comments on the matter, and although we did, the Covid-19-imposed lockdowns severely impacted the process,” Fr. Jayantha Nimal of St. Nicholas’ Church, Bopitiya told The Morning yesterday (12). A silent protest was held in front of St. Nicholas’ Church on 11 July, with the participation of religious figures and residents, to stop the potential harm that could occur if the said development is allowed to go ahead. Colombo Archdiocese Social Relations Unit Head Fr. Jude Chrishantha said at the protest that the Muthurajawela Wetland serves as the lung in the Western Province and as a natural deterrent against flooding in the region. “Although it is the responsibility of the political leaders to protect this wetland, it has now fallen upon the public to protect the wetland from the leaders,” claimed Fr. Chrishantha. Speaking to The Morning, CEB Chairman Eng. Vijitha Herath said that a holistic approach to development should be considered, instead of being misled by people who claim that they are environmentally conscious. “Not a single new power plant has been built in Sri Lanka in eight years. We had similar complaints during the construction of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant. We are hoping to construct a 300 MW LNG power plant in Muthurajawela, which would greatly benefit the entire country. I am of the opinion that this must go ahead,” added Eng. Herath. Meanwhile, although the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) yesterday sought a stay order against the proposed development, the legal proceedings on the matter have been postponed to 26 July. CEJ Chairman Ravindranath Dabare told The Morning that the capacity to fill the wetland has been exceeded and that no further development should occur there. Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith addressed a letter to the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) last week, urging its Director General Hemantha Jayasinghe to refrain from granting approval to the proposal to construct the LNG plant in Muthurajawela. Speaking in Parliament last week, National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake brought attention to the matter, claiming that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) that had been done regarding the proposed project was inadequate. Controversies of land-grabbing, illegal development, and land-filling have surrounded the Muthurajawela Wetland, bordering the Negombo Lagoon and the western shoreline for years. Allegations have also been levelled against the Urban Development Authority (UDA) for dumping garbage in the wetland. Muthurajawela is the largest of the wetlands found in the Western Province and is home to a diverse ecosystem of over 209 species of animals, 194 species of trees, 40 species of fish, 31 species of reptiles, 102 species of birds, 48 species of butterflies, and 18 of the 22 mangrove species found in the country.

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