Spotlight on Lahugala-Sengamuwa Reserves: Land grab in Pottuvil and improper behaviour of Govt. officials

Massive deforestation and arbitrary acquisition of reserve lands can be seen in Sarvodayapuram in Sengamuwa Forest

All that the authorities did was exchange letters, and the destruction of reserves and acquisition of government lands is yet to be halted. Cattle sheds, permanent houses and huts have been constructed in Sarvodayapuram and Athimune areas causing massive forest destruction,

- Udalamatte Ratanapriya Thera -

Many solutions were given, but they would repeat the wrongdoings. Not only us, but the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Department, Commissioner General of Land, Archaeology Department and Land Commission should get together to solve this problem

- Nilantha Siriwardena Ampara District Additional Secretary -

So far cases have been filed against 17 people. But there are more such people. licences of those occupying the reserve lands were submitted to the court

- M.I. Thirunath Pothuvil Divisional Secretary -

The massive deforestation and arbitrary acquisition of reserve lands in Pottuvil area in Ampara are continuing. Day by day, lands belonging to the Wildlife, Forest and Archaeology Departments are being acquired. The authorities are not interested in ending such activities. Law-abiding officers who are and who used to work in the area have informed the authorities about this many times. But when considering the letters that were exchanged these efforts seem like playing music to deaf elephants. Pottuvil Divisional Secretary Sandaruwan Anuruddha sent the letter No PLV/DS/LND/GN/2021 dated 14-06-2021 to the Commissioner General of Lands through the Ampara District Secretary about the forest destruction taking place in Pottuvil.

In that letter, the Divisional Secretary points out the illegal use of government land. According to the letter, government land belonging to the Pottuvil Divisional Secretariat has been acquired unlawfully. The letter adds that complaints have been received regarding illegal transactions related to lands. The Pottuvil Divisional Secretary also mentions of the incidents he witnessed on a field trip he took. As mentioned in the letter, with the end of the war, there was great development in the tourism industry in the area. Hence lands have become more valuable. Therefore, the declaration deeds were made for government land using underhand tactics. Such lands were sold at very high prices; with claims being made that they are private lands. In his letter, the Divisional Secretary has indicated that some people involved in the tourism industry have sold the Government lands near lagoons, rivers and lakes at higher prices using declaration deeds.

The Divisional Secretary of Pottuvil points out that the lands in Arugam Bay, Arugam Bay lagoon, Ulla, Kottukal, and Urani have been subjected to irregularities. According to the TOPO P.P.19 INSET 38 map prepared by the Survey Department in 1983, there were government lands in Arugam Bay area. But at present, most government lands in that area have been sold using fake deeds. The Pottuvil Divisional Secretary points out that star-class hotels and resorts have been built on many of these controversial lands. This is the situation in Kottukal and Whiskey Point in Pottuvil 20 Grama Niladhari Division.

In 2004, after the Tsunami disaster, a system was established to grant land licences immediately to those who lost their licences. In addition to the Divisional Secretary the power to certify licences was vested in the Eastern Land Commissioner and colonization officials. The Divisional Secretary also pointed out in the letter that most of the licences signed by the colonization officials were fake. The letter mentions that those licences do not have office or ledger copies.

Circular No. 05/ 2001, issued on 10.08.2001, retained the control of Other State Forests under the Department of Forest Conservation. Accordingly, permission from the Department of Forest Conservation should be obtained when issuing licences for those lands. But according to the letter, licences have been issued without this permission. The Land Reform Commission has lands in Pottuvil area in Ampara. But those lands are not marked with clear boundaries. According to Pottuvil Divisional Secretary, those lands have also been acquired without permission. The letter also mentions of measures to be taken regarding this. Copies of the letter have been forwarded to all government institutions.

Presidential Special Projects Director R. A. D. Sirisena sent a letter on March 23, 2021, to the Secretary of the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, requesting an investigation into the fraud and corruption in the Pottuvil area and the improper behaviour of government officials. According to Udalamatte Ratanapriya Thera of Muhudu Maha Vihara it was the letter No PS/PSO./RADS/ 08/(09)/61/2021. The letter sent by Pottuvil Divisional Secretary to Ampara District Secretary on 31-03-2021 is also important. It is about a field inspection by the Divisional Secretary in the Sengamuwa Reserve. According to the letter, Grama Niladhari officials, police officials and forest conservation officers accompanied him on this inspection tour.

The letter says that the amount of land destroyed in the Sengamuwa Reserve was identified according to the GPS bands. 4 acres of E: 310655.84 and N:185355.14, 7.5 acres of E: 310336.26 and N: 184423.70, 4 acres of E:310129.22 and N184132.64, 6.5 acres of E:311105.01 and N:184285.99, 6 acres of E: 313153.18 and N:184023.93 and 4 acres of E: 312481.94 and N:184778.28 have been destroyed. Forest areas have been cleared to make paddy fields in reserves. The article also mentioned that cattle farms and chena cultivations were observed. Ampara District Secretariat issued licences for these lands during 1985-1991. According to that letter, the Pottuvil Pradesha Sabha also issued several licences during 2006-2008, which were outside the Land Kachcheri system. Also, many other factors have been revealed, the letter states.

Land buyers in trouble 

Udalamatte Ratanapriya Thera said all that the authorities did was exchange letters, and the destruction of reserves and acquisition of government lands is yet to be halted. Deforestation can also be seen in Sengamuwa Reserve. The footpath leading to the Orukkumale Lake across the Lahugala Reserve is no longer visible today. Instead, there is a large concrete road. There is a residual forest in the area. It has been completely destroyed by now. According to Ratanapriya Thera, this other forest has been destroyed with the influence of a local politician. Cowsheds, permanent houses, chena cultivations, and temporary constructions have been built. Also, a local politician has acquired 37 acres from a reserve area gazetted as belonging to the Lahugala Site Forest Zone. Ratanapriya Thera said that there are plans to build a huge hotel there. He also added that cattle sheds, permanent houses and huts have been constructed in Sarvodayapuram and Athimune areas causing massive forest destruction. The authorities were informed on many occasions, but they are yet to take any step regarding this,” he added.

We made inquiries from the Ampara District Secretary regarding this, but since he was not present, Ampara District Additional Secretary Nilantha Siriwardena commenting on this, said that this problem had been continuing. “Many solutions were given, but they would repeat the wrongdoings. Not only us, but the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Department, Commissioner General of Land, Archaeology Department and Land Commission should get together to solve this problem. The majority of lands here belong to Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Forest Department. Those institutions should deal with those matters. There are problems related to lands in Pottuvil and Lahugala zones. Licences were issued earlier for lands. But due to the war people deserted these lands. Later, the boundaries of the Forest Department lands have been changed. By that time, a lot of lands had been sold. Some people have bought new lands and they are now in trouble. The land problem in Lahugala and Pothuvil areas has become a huge problem at present,”, he added. 

Attempts made to contact the Assistant Secretary of Lahugala Divisional Secretariat proved futile. This newspaper then made inquiries from Pottuvil Divisional Secretary M.I. Thirunath. He said that legal action has been taken under the Land Ordinance against those who forcibly acquired lands and those who entered the area without permission. “So far cases have been filed against 17 people. But there are more such people. licences of those occupying the reserve lands were submitted to the court. The court did not accept those documents and issued orders to remove those people,” he added.

This writer tried to contact Director General of Wildlife Chandana Suriyabandara to find out whether lands of the Department of Wildlife Conservation were occupied in this manner, but he could not be reached. This newspaper made an inquiry from the Secretary of the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation. Since the Secretary was not present, we inquired from the Additional Secretary of Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation Samanthi Ranasinghe. She obtained our information and said that she would call the DWC and Forest Department, obtain the necessary information and call back. She failed to do so till this edition went to press.
The newspaper then contacted the Department of Archaeology via 0112695255, 2692840 to find out if this department’s lands in Pottuvil have been acquired illegally. However, officials of this department didn’t respond. 

Later, this newspaper contacted the Land Reform Commission. A spokesperson in the commission said that the top officials had gone to Kandy on an official visit. He asked this writer to contact a spokesperson in the transfer division, but this newspaper failed to obtain a response despite making several attempts.
When this writer asked Land Commissioner General Bandula Jayasinghe about these matters, he said he would look into all these matters and make a statement to this newspaper.