Spotlight on Berangamuwa: Tree felling exposes Bagavanthalawa-Balangoda main road to landslides

The sorry sight of trees being felled

PIX BY SAMANTHA PERERA

• Two state institutes connected to the project are yet to obtain any report on the environmental damage caused by the deforestation process
• The Forest Department is of the opinion that these trees are being cut because the trees which are in the wildlife zone belong to them

The Bagavanthalawa-Balangoda main road connecting the two districts Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura is at risk of landslides due to the felling of Eucalyptus trees by the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC) and the State Timber Corporation (STC). It is the responsibility of the timber corporation to provide timber to government departments and institutions and for other needs of the country. There is nothing wrong with that. However, close attention should be paid to the environment when cutting trees to provide wood. Neither the timber corporation nor the DFC seems to pay attention to the environment when cutting trees on the Bagavantalawa-Balangoda road. They are only focused on obtaining timber. According to these two institutions the environment is not important to them. They are yet to obtain any report on the environmental damage caused by the deforestation process. When inquired, officials of these institutions said that they don’t need environmental reports and are working towards bringing maximum profit to the government when dealing with timber.

Harbouring such thoughts they are engaged in felling trees along the Bagavanthalawa-Balangoda road and causing severe damage. The focus on reporting this issue is to underscore the severe environmental damage caused as a result to the area. This area belonging to Samanala Nature Reserve is a bio-diversity sensitive area. These forest lands are located in a part of the Bogavantalawa Estate. Kehelgamuwa Oya (the initial tributary of the Kelani River starting from the Samanala Nature Reserve) and the Mahaweli River start from the Bagavantalawa area. This area is prone to landslides. Felling trees in such an area without a environmental study has caused enormous environmental damage.

Imbulpe Divisional Secretary obtained an environmental report and removed the trees there. In removing those trees, we were instructed to cut and remove trees leaving 3 feet stumps at the ground level. But environmental reports have not been taken for the Berangamuwa project or any project we have carried out so far - S.K Priyankara, State Timber Corporation’s Assistant Regional Manager Balangoda

Every day thousands of people travel via the Bagavantalawa - Balangoda road. People from Kandy and Nuwara Eliya travel to Kataragama, Matara, Hambantota, Embilipitiya, and Ratnapura and people from those areas come to Nuwara Eliya and Kandy via this route. But the road has been at risk of landslides for a long time. If a landslide occurs on the road commuters would have to travel to the above mentioned areas via Avissawella and Ratnapura to reach Embilipitiya. Also, the lives of the people travelling on the Bagavanthalawa-Balangoda road are also exposed to massive danger.

When the Daily Mirror investigated the area recently this writer noted that the Bagavantalawa-Balangoda road was at risk of landslides due to the tree felling activities scheduled to be carried out in the 6.4 hectares belonging to Belihul Oya Beettu in the Balangoda forest site area located in the Ratnapura district. These trees are felled in keeping with operating a work site producing sleepers. Under this project, the felling of trees has begun covering an area of 0.92 hectares in the Berangamuwa area. There are 365 trees to be cut down. The agreement number of this tree felling activity is 46/Rapura/2022. N. P. N. Premakirthi is in charge of this work site. The work site is supervised by Timber Corporation’s Balangoda Assistant Regional Manager S.K. Priyankara.

The Forest Department is of the opinion that these trees are being cut because the trees which are in the wildlife zone belong to them. The removal of the trees is done by the Timber Corporation under the supervision and monitoring of the Forest Department. The two institutions claim that the tree felling is carried out legally by publishing tender notices. But the problem here is the manner in which the trees are cut. Trees are felled in slope areas without any environmental study. The trees are reduced to the ground level and sometimes what is left behind is a stump which measures about six inches above ground level. These trees are nearly 50-100 feet tall. The upper trees on the sloping land are cut down and the trunks are cut into pieces 9 feet long, tied to cables and sent down the slope. Although a crane is used for this purpose the logs are made to slide down the slope digging up the soil and causing severe damage to the ground.

The trees were to be removed and replanting was to commence in December. But when the tender was placed, it was delayed due to a price issue. The project commenced only after the tender was issued. These trees are cut by those who sign contracts with the State Timber Corporation. After removing these trees, we will be engaged in reforestation” - A. Upul Valeboda Beettu Officer of the DFC

A billboard reveals that this is the work site producing sleepers

Soil washed away

The 9-foot logs brought down are taken to the machines, used to produce sleepers on the other side. They are tied together with cables and pulled up by a JCB machine causing damage to the ground. Because of this activity the soil in those places seems loose. When this writer inspected the area on December 26 the Berangamuwa sleeper project site was at risk of being exposed to a landslide. Recently the Berangamuwa area also received heavy rains, similar to those experienced in Kandy, but the rains were not as torrential as the rains received in the central hills. However, the rain washed away the soil from the project site scattering the soil on the Bagavantalawa - Balangoda road. If it rains heavily again, it would be unthinkable to prevent landslides in areas where the trees have been cleared, and the ground has been destroyed. If that happens thousands of commuters would be exposed to danger.

This area has experienced landslides before. There are plenty of factors nearby to prove this condition of the soil. A small waterfall and a small bridge are located near the Berangamuwa sleeper project. Landslides have occurred before near this bridge and the road. The road has been reconstructed with the aid of used tires. A local resident told this writer that tires were placed near the bridge to prevent another landslide. There is a wind gap towards Bagavanthalawa from this area where there is a viewpoint. Trees will also be felled at that place in the future. That area already shows warning signs of landslides.

Anyone visiting the area can witness the huge environmental damage caused by haphazard tree felling activities carried out sans any environmental study. But without any hesitation, the STC and the Forest Department claim that no landslide will occur at this place and that they cannot take responsibility if one occurs.
Valeboda Beettu Officer of the DFC A. Upul had this to say.

Trees are felled and made ready for transport

“This project has been handed over to the State Timber Corporation through an agreement. This project is already delayed. The trees were to be removed and replanting was to commence in December. But when the tender was placed, it was delayed due to a price issue. The project commenced only after the tender was issued. These trees are cut by those who sign contracts with the State Timber Corporation. After removing these trees, we will be engaged in reforestation. Now there are Garden and Pinus trees. After these trees are removed, local plants like Kumbuk, Hora, Dun, Sinha and Atamaga will be planted. So far, 30,800 saplings have been grown. They will be planted when rains are received. There are plans to plant these saplings in September-October this year. Removing these trees will not cause any landslides. When handing over the work site to the Department of Forest Conservation after removing trees, bio fencing and sediment fencing are used as contour lines. What if a landslide occurs? The head office of the Forest Department decides the procedure to cut down these trees. The director general of the Department of Forest Conservation and the heads of the timber corporation are the ones who take decisions regarding tree felling. Not even one-fourth of this project has been implemented yet. Foreign plants, including Pinus, will be completely removed. Trees are cut down, leaving one or two feet from the ground,” said Upul. 

An officer of the STC- who was at the project site- said that trees are felled in forests belonging to the Department of Forest through the STC. “We make the most of the tree. Therefore, trees are cut, leaving 6 inch stump. Otherwise, the government will incur losses. The timber corporation cannot take responsibility for landslides. We are cutting trees keeping with the instructions given by the Department of Forest Conservation,” said the STC office. 

The Forest Department head office gives recommendations for the cutting of trees. We are implementing those orders. We have done an EIA for all the wood we produce in the country” - R. P. M. Weerasinghe Ratnapura District Forest Officer

Landslide zones 

State Timber Corporation’s Balangoda Assistant Regional Manager S.K Priyankara said that an environmental report hasn’t been taken yet regarding this project. “This place isn’t named as a landslide-prone area. Trees in landslide zones are cut and removed. There is a village here called Pinnawala and there is a place here which is at risk of experiencing a landslide. Imbulpe Divisional Secretary obtained an environmental report and removed the trees there. In removing those trees, we were instructed to cut and remove trees leaving 3 feet stumps at the ground level. But environmental reports have not been taken for the Berangamuwa project or any project we have carried out so far. All we do is act on the instructions given to us. The Department of Forest Conservation studies the removal of these trees and hands them over to the State Timber Corporation. All we do is cut down the trees and restore the land. In the event of a landslide, we cannot say who exactly will be responsible. As soon as those trees are cut, we will plant trees. The size of the trees to be cut down varies according to special instructions. I cannot give an answer regarding landslides because there has never been such an experience. We will definitely plant saplings after March,” Priyankara added.
Ratnapura District Forest Officer R. P. M. Weerasinghe said the following.

“The Forest Department head office gives recommendations for the cutting of trees. We are implementing those orders. We have done an EIA for all the wood we produce in the country. Ask the Colombo office for more details.” he added. When asked who would take responsibility if a landslide occurred he asked to contact the Director General of the Forest Department. He hung up the phone, telling this newspaper to contact a spokesperson of the Department of Forest Conservation for more information.

This writer attempted to meet Balangoda Forest Range Officer Ruwan Galappaththi at his office, but our efforts proved futile. We contacted him by phone, but he hung up complaining about poor reception. Later he asked us to contact the Media Secretary of the Forest Department if we intend on publishing our article in the newspaper. When we informed that we had to speak to him because he was also the officer in charge of the project, he said that he could answer questions only after receiving the media spokesperson’s permission. “The trees are cut by the timber corporation. They are the ones who know about the landslide,” said Galappaththi. When asked who would take responsibility if a landslide occurred, he hung up the phone.
None of the officials gave a proper answer as to who would take responsibility if a landslide occurred in the Berangamuwa area. Therefore, we tried to ask the DFC Director General regarding this issue. But a spokesperson told us to contact the media spokesperson.

Those trees are cut and removed legally. Then local trees will be planted. Those trees must be removed, and that is what is being done now” 

- Nishantha Edirisinghe Media Spokesperson Forest Department

When inquiries were made the Media Spokesperson of the Forest Department Nishantha Edirisinghe said that Eucalyptus plants were being cut in Berangamuwa. “Those trees are cut and removed legally. Then local trees will be planted,” said Edirisinghe. We also asked him about the risk of landslides at this place. He said that he had visited the area and the Forest Department doesn’t need environmental reports to fell trees. “Those trees must be removed, and that is what is being done now,” he said. He refused to give a direct answer to the question regarding landslides. When this writer repeatedly questioned him, he said he had inspected the Bagavantalawa-Balangoda road before felling trees and added, “I know that area”. When asked if he had noticed that the road was covered with tyres near Berangamuwa, he failed to produce an answer. “I am unaware of any landslide. I will look into the matter and let you know,” was his response. 

Taking action after a disaster strikes is of no use. Remedies should be found beforehand. There is no one to take responsibility for the devastation that would be caused due to the irresponsible actions of two government institutions. Villagers and critics have no options other than keeping fingers crossed and hoping that disaster doesn’t strike in the form of landslide.  

Tyres placed near the bridge situated close to the Berangamuwa sleeper project to prevent another landslide earth