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Kalpitiya -tourism and encroachers
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Story and pix by Padma Kumari Kankanamge
It’s been over a decade since government undertook to transform Kalpitiya into a tourist destination.
Plans are afoot to transform the Kalpitiya islands into a tourist destination
The Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Project is easily one of the biggest tourism projects undertaken by any government to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination.
Under the project industries are to be established in 14 fishing islands in Kalpitiya. The ownership of the islands have been vested in the state.
This tourist destination was to include several areas of tourism such as fishing tourism, eco tourism, boat and underwater themed safaris. Cable car tours and sea plane flights
The coral gardens are a major tourist attraction
were also to be included in the plan.
The project was expected to generate employment opportunities to 20,000 and provide indirect employment to another 15,000.
Secretary of the Kalpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha said that they had identified 667 acres of land for this project. He added encroachment of state lands had occurred and the families would be relocated.
“We have lost our land because of this project. We don’t have any certificates of ownership, but these are our ancestral properties. “We don’t have anywhere to go and are requesting that we be provided special permits to confirm ownership of our land,” said Christopher Perera, 48, fisherman.
A boat's eye view of one of the islands
 Locals claim prescriptive right to lands they say have belonged to their families for generations |
 Authorities claim there has been encroachment of state lands |
 The open beaches make kite-flying a major entertainment for both locals and foreign tourists |
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