Legal action will be taken if Deep Jungle festival is held: CEJ

 Pic by nimalsiri edirisinghe

• Claims100-hours of non-stop music will unquestionably have a negative impact on the environment
• Organizers claim they have obtained permission from  President’s office, PM’s office, the Public Security Ministry and others

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  

If the Deep Jungle festival is held as planned, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) said that legal action will be taken against those responsible.

CEJ Executive Director/Senior Environmental Scientist Hemantha Withanage told a media briefing that currently there is no permission granted to hold the music festival.  

The organizers have obtained support and permission from the President’s office, the Prime Minister’s office, the Public Security Ministry and others. However, final conditional approval has been issued by the Department of Forest Conservation, and the approval highlights the fact that the said location is adjacent to a reserve forest, Withanage said.  

“100-hours of non-stop music will unquestionably have a negative impact on the environment. We have already spoken with our legal teams, and if this continues, we will undoubtedly take legal action,” Withanage said.  
The festival  to be held under the patronage of some government authorities will be held next to the “Galoya Forest Reserve,” a well-known elephant corridor in Habarana (which connects the Hurulu Eco Park to Kaudulla and Minneriya national parks), from February 17–19.   

Meanwhile, RARE Sri Lanka Founder and Communication Co-ordinator Panchali Panapitiya stated that approximately 150–200 elephants pass through this elephant corridor every day. The area is a very active elephant habitat, and the Forest Department has requested that the organizers maintain low noise levels.