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Declare Sinharaja Elephant Corridor ‘sensitive’ area: Forest officers 

26 Jan 2021

By Pamodi Waravita    Faced with dealings concerning the ongoing development activities at the elephant corridor between the Handapan Ella and Dellawwa Ella connecting the Sinharaja Rainforest, Ratnapura District Forest Conservation officers have requested the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to declare the area as an environmentally sensitive area.  “This elephant corridor runs through lands which are privately owned so they don’t need to obtain an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to start development. This is worrying since the elephant corridor runs through them and that is why we are requesting that this area be declared as being environmentally sensitive,” Ratnapura District Forest Officer Rashal Weerasinghe told The Morning yesterday (25). The District Forest officers made this request from the CEA earlier this month when a visit was conducted by officials to assess the damage in the area. Speaking to The Morning, Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka Convenor Jayantha Wijesinghe said that the area is especially important due to four main reasons, namely, due to the shrub, thick forest cover, savannah, and riverine ecosystems in the area. “When development on this land was attempted in 2018, civil society organisations protested and the development was stopped. However, from December 2020, development has started again,” claimed Wijesinghe. Wijesinghe further alleged that the type of land ownership in the area is questionable and that it is irrelevant since environmental regulations must be followed in the area. Wijesinghe claimed that it is the inaction of the CEA which has led to this environmental harm. Furthermore, he also claimed that the Forest Conservation Department was supposed to acquire the relevant private lands in 2018. Responding to this claim, District Forest Officer Weerasinghe mentioned that the acquisition is occurring at an extremely slow pace. When contacted by The Morning regarding the matter, CEA Director General Hemantha Jayasinghe said that an update would be available within the week. The Sinharaja Rainforest, located in the Sabaragamuwa and Southern Provinces, covers an area of 18,900 acres and is home to over 50% of the country’s endemic species. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.


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