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Villagers oppose harming forest reserve to build road in Sinharaja
Alleged political intervention by Neluwa Divisional Secretariat
Colombo, July 22 (Daily Mirror) - The villagers living around the Lankagama entrance of the world heritage Sinharaja forest strongly oppose the politically backed efforts of Neluwa Divisional Secretariat to harm the forest reserve to facilitate a road to a single domestic compound, when an alternative route already exists, the Daily Mirror learns.
Both the residents as well as the tourist hoteliers in the sensitive ecological area that borders the world heritage rainforest demand the central government authorities to intervene in the matter as the claimed road is to be sponsored under the powers of the Neluwa Divisional Secretary with his alleged political affiliation to the Chairman Neluwa Pradeshiya Sabha.
The said road, is an old footpath along the banks of the Gin Ganga that belongs to the Gin Ganga Reserve and Heriyawa Dola Reserve to be broadened to a 10 foot pathway by felling the age old trees, just to facilitate a closer route to the said house, the residents said.
The mentioned house had been provided with its original route from another side, which is not so close to the Neluwa – Lankagama Road had been encroached by two other residents in the area leaving the house owner to use the footpath along the Gin Ganga.
The matter has been reported to the Presidential Secretariat, to the Surveyor Department as well as to the Galle District Secretariat and an inquiry has been commenced by the Investigation Unit of the Public Administration Ministry.
The efforts to broaden the footpath to a road in a harmful manner to the two forest reserves of Gin Ganga Reserve and Heriyawa Dola Reserve had been halted with the intervention of the authorities but the residents doubt if the unscrupulous practices of the Neluwa Divisional Secretary would resume the project soon.
The attempts made to contact Neluwa Divisional Secretary for comment were not successful.
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