Govt. responds to pressure exerted by social media and environmental groups

Sri Lanka’s environmental problems have moved to newer dimensions, much to the fury of environmental groups. Mass scale environment destruction reports irritated the government to the point that a separate committee was setup to monitor news items that includes environmental matters. Even though the current regime has introduced projects such as ‘Surakimu Ganga’ a majority of rivers and environmentally sensitive areas have been destroyed due to activities such as sand mining. Prior to safeguarding rivers and water bodies, the forests and sensitive habitats need to be conserved as they contribute to retaining water. 

Gin-Nilwala River Diversion project

The Gin-Nilwala Diversion project has been proposed to divert excess water of the upper reaches of Gin and Nilwala basins to the South East Dry Zone. The project proposes to divert excess water to Muruthawela tank and finally to Chandrika wewa through a series of reservoirs, weir, transfer tunnels and canals. The project includes Madugate Reservoir, Madugate Tunnel, Kotapola Weir, Kotapola Tunnel, Ampanagala Reservoir, Ampanagala Tunnel and Muruthawela Reservoir. One of the benefits highlighted in the project is to supply 122 million cubic metres (MCM) of drinking and industrial water to Hambantota district annually. The project will cover areas including Katuwana, Mulatiyana, Okewela, Tangalle, Beliatta, Angunukolapelessa, Suriyawewa, Ambalanthota and Hambantota divisions. 

However when Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa announced the project, environmental groups frowned upon the decision claiming that the Sinharaja Forest will once again be under threat. Certain factions also claimed that the Neluwa-Lankagama road was constructed to access this project. Following social media uproar, Minister Rajapaksa later reiterated that the project is done to provide water for people in Hambantota who have been deprived of water for drinking, domestic and industrial uses for the past 90 years or so. He also said that guidelines laid out by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and Environmental Impact Assessments would be considered prior to commencing the project. 

“Water for both rivers originates from Sinharaja Forest,” opined Jayantha Wijesingha, Convener of Rainforest Protectors Sri Lanka during a panel discussion recently. “The Gin Ganga originates from Gongala and it is now an area subject to mass scale development activities. Ecological density at Sinharaja Forest Reserve is rapidly degenerating. Hundreds of acres coming under the purview of the Land Reclamation Commission are subject to mass scale destruction. Development today is happening in a way that is having a long term impact on humans. Mountain ranges and rainforests that contribute to retaining water and misty environments are being destroyed, paving the way to a scarcity of water for all citizens. The Handapan Ella, Beragala-Walankanda area too have limited water today," he alleged.

Several attempts to contact State Minister of Development of Rural Paddy Fields and Associated Tanks, Reservoirs and Irrigation Anuradha Jayaratne proved futile.

Gazette issued banning oil palm cultivations and palm oil imports 

Since 1968 oil palm cultivations rapidly increased within the low country wet zone in Sri Lanka as it was considered to be an economical and profitable crop. As it emerged to be a profitable business, a policy decision was taken in 2014 to expand oil palm cultivations. The go-ahead was given to plant crops in a land with maximum allowable extent of land was 20,000 hectares in the marginal, abandoned lands and lands that aren’t economically viable (over 30 years old rubber) while only 20% of the land area of plantation can be converted to oil palm. 
However, apart from producing a second edible oil that was later alleged to be carcinogenic, palm oil cultivations also had adverse impacts on the environment. A research conducted by the Central Environment Authority stated that runoff and sedimentation, leaching of nutrients from fertiliser, pesticides and other agrochemicals and effluent discharge are potential factors that could affect water quality. Other impacts include loss of biodiversity, soil compaction, ground water scarcity and river pollution. In addition, monoculture plantations provoke erosive processes since their establishment involves the clearing of land formerly covered by forests. This leaves the soil totally exposed to heavy tropical rains. 

Identifying these factors, environmental groups debated and voiced against the move to expand oil palm cultivations. Recently, their objectives became a reality when the government took steps to not only ban oil palm cultivations but also to ban the import of palm oil. This move was made following the detection of aflatoxins in crude coconut oil imported recently and the practice of mixing palm oil and coconut oil. The gazette further states that companies and entities which have done oil palm cultivations shall be required to remove them on a phased out manner with 10% uprooting at a time and replacing it with rubber or environmentally friendly crops each year to free Sri Lanka from oil palm cultivation and palm 

oil consumption.