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Watawala Plantations accused of deforestation in Homadola

06 Apr 2022

  • MONLAR alleges expansion of commercial plantations, and media self-censorship due to advertising
  • Warns of water pollution, landslide risk, hunting of migratory deer 
BY Dinitha Rathnayake  Environmentalists claimed that the Watawala Plantations Company is attempting occasional acts of deforestation in the Homadola Estate and is also controlling the media coverage of the activities in the Homadola Estate. Sajeewa Chamikara of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) claimed: “Some media companies impose self censorship when reporting on this deforestation as the company provides advertising. Although the people of the area have been working hard to control this deforestation, various efforts are being made these days to establish commercial plantations in various places”. Homadola Mukalana is a water catchment mountain which is in the custody of the Watawala Plantations Company. The Homadola Estate is about 6,000 hectares bordering the Kanneliya and Nakiyadeniya Forest Reserves.  “About 16 hectares or 40 acres of this mountain range are being cleared and commercial plantations are being expanded from time to time. This Company is expanding the cultivated lands by clearing this forest area in the 219A Homadola Grama Niladhari (GN) Division of the Nagoda Divisional Secretariat Division which belongs to the Galle District. People living in 218B Udugama, 219A Homadola and 219 Udugama East GN Divisions will continue to face the damaging effects. The clearing of this ridge with rough slopes could create a serious landslide hazard.  “About 150 families living in the 218B Homadola GN Division at the foot of this mountain get their drinking water from the streams that start from this mountain. The mountain range is home to a significant number of endemic species and the deforestation of this mountain range has led to the hunting of migratory deer. On 5 April 2022, a deer died in the same way. Due to this, this watershed forest area should be declared as an environmental protection zone under the National Environmental Act. Institutions including the Central Environmental Authority should be proactive in this regard,” Chamikara claimed. When contacted, the Watawala Plantations’ Homadola Estate office said that no cultivation or land clearing had taken place at present.  “We actually wanted to start coconut and cinnamon cultivations but environmentalists and the villagers protested against it so we called nine Government institutions including the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to investigate the matter and accept the NBRO report on the issue”.


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