By Sarah Hannan
The Ministry of Environment has launched an investigation into the alleged deforestation that has taken place on the right-side border of the Rambakan Oya Reservoir, The Sunday Morning learnt.
“The land that has been utilised falls under the purview of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL). Yet, we have taken this matter into serious consideration and have launched an investigation to find out whether land areas belonging to forest reserves too have been destroyed.
[caption id="attachment_103357" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera[/caption]
“We have also instructed the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) over the allegations on whether a correct process was followed when the land areas were cleared using heavy machinery,” Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera told The Sunday Morning.
Amaraweera also reiterated that it is only the underutilised lands that belong to the Mahaweli Authority that will be repurposed for land development work.
About 6,000 acres of forest land in the Maha Oya-Padiyathalawa valley in lower Uva, including the catchment area of Rambakan Oya, was supposedly allocated by the Director General of Mahaweli for maize cultivation by several companies.
Six land acquisition companies and private entrepreneurs are currently preparing lands for cultivation by destroying about 3,000 acres of sandalwood, ebony, mahogany, halmilla, and teak in the Rambakan Oya Reserve and Nuwaragala Reserve areas, including the land within the forest reserve zone.
Maha Oya Pradeshiya Sabha Deputy Chairman W.M. Wimalasena, speaking to our provincial reporter, had stated: “Without our knowledge, about 6,000 acres of forest land have been destroyed by private companies using heavy machinery. Not only the ‘binthenna’ area, but also watershed areas that nurture the Senanayaka Reservoir, Rambakan Oya, and other peripheral water tanks will be affected due to the destruction of forests in this catchment area.”
Wimalasena had also stated that only about 1,700 acres of land had been allocated to farmer families for paddy cultivation. Another 2,550 acres of land was to be allotted to the farmer families, but those cultivation lands too had been sectioned off to be given to the private companies for maize cultivation.
“It seems that the Director General has given these forests arbitrarily. He said that since the companies had spent a lot on cultivating maize in these lands, he asked us to allow them to continue with their cultivation, as they are supposed to recover their costs,” Wimalasena alleged.
Meanwhile, Thalawari Gunawardana, a sovereign resident of the land and leader of an indigenous community in Pollebedda, said: “The Mahaweli Authority had not given an inch of paddy land due to various laws and at least 78 families are unable to cultivate paddy due to this. Now these lands are given to private companies for maize cultivation. They are felling ancient trees and heartlessly destroying the ecosystems.”
Moreover, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) last week had visited the area to understand the extent of destruction that has taken place.
“It is questionable on what grounds the Mahaweli Authority had decided to cultivate 5,828 acres (2,359 hectares) under the Rambakan Oya proposed Agriculture and Livestock Development Project without conducting the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA),” CEJ Executive Director Hemantha Withanage noted.
At least 500 hectares of land is to be divided into several plots and was to be handed over to a small group of individuals for cultivation. The CEJ stated that by doing so, the CEA has allegedly skipped the mandatory EIA before embarking on such a large-scale project.
According to the National Environment Act, to clear a land extent of over one hectare of forest land for non-forest purposes, or if over 50 hectares of land is to be cleared for any project, an EIA is essential. However, over 500 hectares have already been cleared without conducting an EIA, the CEJ alleged.
Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera[/caption]
“We have also instructed the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) over the allegations on whether a correct process was followed when the land areas were cleared using heavy machinery,” Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera told The Sunday Morning.
Amaraweera also reiterated that it is only the underutilised lands that belong to the Mahaweli Authority that will be repurposed for land development work.
About 6,000 acres of forest land in the Maha Oya-Padiyathalawa valley in lower Uva, including the catchment area of Rambakan Oya, was supposedly allocated by the Director General of Mahaweli for maize cultivation by several companies.
Six land acquisition companies and private entrepreneurs are currently preparing lands for cultivation by destroying about 3,000 acres of sandalwood, ebony, mahogany, halmilla, and teak in the Rambakan Oya Reserve and Nuwaragala Reserve areas, including the land within the forest reserve zone.
Maha Oya Pradeshiya Sabha Deputy Chairman W.M. Wimalasena, speaking to our provincial reporter, had stated: “Without our knowledge, about 6,000 acres of forest land have been destroyed by private companies using heavy machinery. Not only the ‘binthenna’ area, but also watershed areas that nurture the Senanayaka Reservoir, Rambakan Oya, and other peripheral water tanks will be affected due to the destruction of forests in this catchment area.”
Wimalasena had also stated that only about 1,700 acres of land had been allocated to farmer families for paddy cultivation. Another 2,550 acres of land was to be allotted to the farmer families, but those cultivation lands too had been sectioned off to be given to the private companies for maize cultivation.
“It seems that the Director General has given these forests arbitrarily. He said that since the companies had spent a lot on cultivating maize in these lands, he asked us to allow them to continue with their cultivation, as they are supposed to recover their costs,” Wimalasena alleged.
Meanwhile, Thalawari Gunawardana, a sovereign resident of the land and leader of an indigenous community in Pollebedda, said: “The Mahaweli Authority had not given an inch of paddy land due to various laws and at least 78 families are unable to cultivate paddy due to this. Now these lands are given to private companies for maize cultivation. They are felling ancient trees and heartlessly destroying the ecosystems.”
Moreover, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) last week had visited the area to understand the extent of destruction that has taken place.
“It is questionable on what grounds the Mahaweli Authority had decided to cultivate 5,828 acres (2,359 hectares) under the Rambakan Oya proposed Agriculture and Livestock Development Project without conducting the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA),” CEJ Executive Director Hemantha Withanage noted.
At least 500 hectares of land is to be divided into several plots and was to be handed over to a small group of individuals for cultivation. The CEJ stated that by doing so, the CEA has allegedly skipped the mandatory EIA before embarking on such a large-scale project.
According to the National Environment Act, to clear a land extent of over one hectare of forest land for non-forest purposes, or if over 50 hectares of land is to be cleared for any project, an EIA is essential. However, over 500 hectares have already been cleared without conducting an EIA, the CEJ alleged.