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Assessment of environmental impact should precede upcountry development projects
The environment committees within the District Development Councils have called for the need to focus attention on proposed development projects in the hill country due to their environmental impact in the region.
Nuwara Eliya District Land Planning Director A.P. Kumburegama, addressing the Divisional Environmental Committee meeting held in Nuwara Eliya this week, said the Nuwara Eliya District covers some 174,300 hectares, and any development project in this region needs the attention and a feasibility study by the respective environment committee.
The comments came in the wake of new housing projects for estate labour in plantations, without proper planning.
The area is also demarcated as a wetland, under the Wetlands Ordinance and the Mahaweli scheme and several aspects of environmental clearance need to be addressed in such development cases.
The meeting was chaired by the District Secretary- Lands, A. Navaratne.
The district has allocated 51,323 hectares for tea cultivation, and land utilisation needs to be under strict environmental feasibility.
Haphazard development projects have not obtained the environment clearance such as some projects that have come up in Nanu Oya and in some divisional areas in Nuwara Eliya.
Chairman Navaratne observed that soil sample testing has to be carried out in some major projects, and geological clearance need to be given in some cases.