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Sylvan spot threatened by dam proposal
The planned construction of a mini hydro power plant at a beautiful waterfall in Athwelthota is being fiercely opposed by local villagers and environmentalists.
Athwelthota waterfall threatened by a mini hydro power plant.
Athwelthota, in Palindanuwara in the Kalutara district, is a popular holiday destination with its natural streams and pools for bathing.
The streams, which flow into the Palana Ganga river, have been enjoyed and used by many generations of people in the nearby villages.
Now there is fear that a mini hydro plant will be built across a stream that has a waterfall between the villages of Athwelthota and Morapitiya.
“These are old villages and we have enjoyed this fall and the pool as a bathing spot for more than 12 generations,” said Sisira Shantha, a village activist taking the lead in the fight to stop this project.
“We are totally opposed to having a hydro power plant at this spot and we’ll do whatever we can to stop it.”
Mr. Shantha says previous attempts to build a plant at the same spot in 1994 and 2006 were stopped due to the villagers’ protests.
There are many legends around this small waterfall that give the area historical as well as scenic value. One legend says that Prince Weediya Bandara, who ruled Palindanuwara in the 16th century, hid his jewels behind the water curtain of this fall.“An Initial Environment Examination (IEE) was carried out with the blessing of the Palindanuwara Divisional Secretariat and the local Pradesheeya Sabha politicians in a first attempt to get the green light for the project,” said activist Janaka Withanage.
“This move was not disclosed to the villagers and so it is particularly sad that both the Forest Department and the Central Environment Authority (CEA) approved the project.”
“The IEE does not mention the existence of the waterfall, nor that the fall is a tourist destination,” says Centre for Environmental Justice executive director Hemantha Withanage.
“I was born in Morapitya, only 2km away from the waterfall, and we don’t want to see someone destroying this serene beauty.
“This mini hydro power plant is expected to generate only 1.5 MW of electricity. While Sri Lanka is trying to achieve energy sustainability through other modes it is a crime to destroy natural habitats like Athwelthota to generate such a small amount of electricity,” Mr. Withanage said.
He also said that during the rainy season the streams carry a heavy load of water so a dam would cause flooding of the nearby area.
The Athwelthota streams are also the last hideouts of rare fish. During an islandwide freshwater survey, researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle (WCSG) found fairy dandiya (Rasboroides nigromarginata) in one of the streams after an abence of 53 years.
A change of water flow could disrupt the ecosystem of the endemic fish species in these streams and threaten their survival.
Palindanuwara Pradeshiya Sabha gave approval to the project claiming the spot was unsafe for bathing. It did so even though the Pradesheeya Sabha earns money from visitors parking when they come to the spot to bathe, an angry villager said, showing his parking receipt.
The CEA gave its approval to the project on grounds that the lovely little waterfall, which is four feet high, was not high enough to be classified a waterfall.
When questioned, the CEA’s newly-appointed Chairman, Professor Lal Dharmasiri said the body received many complaints these days on environmental injustice and promised to personally review the project’s environmental feasibility.
The Conservator-General of the Forest Department, Anura Satharasinghe, said the Forest Department would send another team to investigate the issue.