Environmental activists have yet again focused their attention on a carpeted road that is to be built through the Rumassala Mountain, which they claim could potentially collapse the ecosystem of the area.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, environmental activist Keerthi Hewagoda shared an account of his observations after a visit to the site.
"Though a famous businessman involved in this claimed that the access road will be just 20 feet wide, plans have been submitted to the local authority for a road of a width of 40 feet. The collapse of the Rumassala ecosystem will be a major blow not only to the tourism industry but also to the small-scale coastal fishing industry," Hewagoda noted.
As a routine visitor and researcher of the area, Hewagoda said that over the recent years, he has noticed that there was a visible reduction of the species population in the area as well.
Many species of animals on the ancient Rumassala Mountain are now extinct due to the settlements and noise, light, and chemical pollution that have taken place over time, he claimed.
"These animals are suffering from the loss of habitat and a breakdown in their food chains, thus causing the breakdown of ecological niches due to uncontrolled tourism and harmful activities in the periphery."
The access road is said to be running from the tourist hotel area in the Yaddehimulla Grama Niladhari Division adjacent to the Unawatuna Wella Devalaya to the Peela Junction beyond the Rumassala main beach. However, the rest of the section between Galhena and the Peela Junction is a footpath.
According to Hewagoda, the 180-metre footpath runs through an ecologically sensitive area, bisecting an animal crossing, and parallel to the boundary of the Rumassala Sanctuary.
Hewagoda questioned as to what will happen if this section of the road is also converted into a 20-foot carpeted road extending along the road leading to the Peace Pagoda.
He also pointed out that the route will bring large numbers of people to the Rumassala Great Sand and White Sand, which will damage the coastal Bonavista Coral Reef.
"In the end, the villagers who currently operate small shops and the car park may initially see some advantage but will be sidelined once the big businesses attract all the crowds," Hewagoda opined.
The Rumassala Marine Sanctuary and Land Sanctuary are administered by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the land is vested in the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).
A section of it belongs to the Habaraduwa Pradeshiya Sabha. Gazette Notification No. 1269/25 dated 3 January 2003 has legalised and conserved 1,707 hectares of the Rumassala sea as a marine sanctuary.
Rumassala is also covered under the Coast Conservation Act (No. 57 of 1981) and the Coast Conservation Department Act (No. 49 of 2011) as amended. Valuation records should be kept if any construction work is being carried out in the area within 300 metres from the coast.
Rumassala has special protection under the Fauna and Flora Protection (Amendment) Act (No. 22 of 2009) and also the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act (No. 2 of 1996). It is also protected by the National Environmental Act (No. 47 of 1980). The ownership of this beach is vested in the SLPA under the Sri Lanka Ports Authority Act (No. 51 of 1976). The Government of Sri Lanka, which has signed the Ramsar Convention on Wetland Conservation, is committed to protecting the Rumassala Coral Reef and its biodiversity.
In October, 2020, when The Sunday Morning contacted the Araliya Group of Hotels in connection with the matter, we were informed that the road was built to assist the villagers improve their business prospects. They also said that after the many protests, the decision to build the road of a width of 40 feet was abandoned and instead a road with a width of 20 feet was built.
However, attempts to contact Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera and Ministry of Environment Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe for comment proved futile.
Road through Rumassala Mountain: Environmentalists cry foul over width
24 Jan 2021
Road through Rumassala Mountain: Environmentalists cry foul over width
24 Jan 2021