News
Investigation into illegal landfill at Bellanwila wetland sanctuary
View(s):The Attorney General has called on the Ratmalana Divisional Secretary to summon a meeting of all stakeholder institutions to prepare an investigation report pertaining to the illegal landfill of wetlands within the Attidiya-Bellanwila sanctuary.
The AG has directed the DS to summon representatives of the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation, the Agrarian Services Department, the Surveyor General’s Department, the Mayor of the Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia MC, the Grama Niladhari of the area, the OIC Mount Lavinia Police, and the Civil Aviation Services Company for a meeting on this issue.
This land within the sanctuary had been set aside for water retention purposes so as to prevent flooding in the area. In this case, the Wild Life Department had filed two cases before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate against former member of the Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia MC, L T K Wimalaratne and five others for illegally filling land within the sanctuary. Other defendants in the case are Sajweewa Kumara, Chaturangi Costa, Nuwan De Silva and Jagath Pushpakumara, all of whom have been released on bail.
Magistrate Chandima Liyanage has directed all landfilling in the area be stopped. The AGs directive to summon the meeting has gone out in keeping with the order of the Magistrate to submit an investigation report after obtaining the facts from the relevant government institutions by April 25.