BY SARAH HANNAN Residents of Rathkinda have alleged that contaminants are released to the Ulhitiya Reservoir in the Badulla District, polluting the water in the reservoir and affecting the ecosystem. The wastewater from the Dole Lanka plantation close by is released to the reservoirs, and now there is a visible layer of oil and pesticides that were used at the plantation, that are gathering at the reservoir,” a resident lamented. The residents reiterated that the practice has been in place for several months and that they had complained about the environmental damage the company’s plantation is causing to the area. To clarify the incident, The Sunday Morning contacted the Dole Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. corporate office, and the company denied that its plantation wastewater is diverted to the Ulhitiya Reservoir. When asked whether they have received any formal complaints from the residents pertaining to the matter, the management of Dole Lanka said that to date, no such complaints have been received by them. “We operate our plantations in keeping with Global Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and it is adhered to by the staff at the Dole Lanka farm and the staff that is involved in the packing plant operations,” the company responded.