12 July 2023 10:07 am Views - 558
By Ajith Siriwardana
‘Sri Lanka Legume’ tree (Crudia zeylanica) which blocked the construction of the Colombo - Kandy Expressway in the Daraluwa area of Veyangoda, was removed with Cabinet approval, Minister Bandula Gunawardane said yesterday.
He told the weekly Cabinet briefing that Cabinet approval was granted as the Cabinet of Ministers observed that it was a waste of money to protect a tree that is commonly available and said that the removal of the tree is a policy decision of the government.
“I called for a report and got to know that there are 15 ‘Sri Lanka Legume’ trees which are over 40 years old and 25 trees that are 12 and 15 feet in extent in the project area. We are planning to plant 200 ‘Sri Lanka Legume’ trees in the area in place of the removed tree,” he said and added that Botanists assured him that any number of ‘Sri Lanka Legume’ trees can also be grown.
There was controversy over the attempts to remove the tree over a long period of time as environmentalists and area residents protested against it.