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Proposed elevated expressway poses risk to Thalangama wetland
The Thalangama wetland–home to birds, reptiles, mammals, fish and insects, including threatened species–is under threat from the proposed elevated expressway from Athurugiriya to New Kelani Bridge via Rajagiriya, the Environment and Wildlife Resources Ministry has warned.
The Ministry has asked the Highways Ministry to therefore reassess the proposed route and look for alternatives “giving due attention to the environmental cost in order to achieve a win-win situation between road construction and environmental conservation.”
The Roads and Highways Ministry had granted preferential treatment to China Habour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) for the elevated expressway and is steaming ahead with negotiations.
However, in a letter last week to Ministry Secretary R. W. R. Pemasiri, Environment and Wildlife Resources Secretary A. H. Sarath Wijesinghe said the 3.15 km of the expressway’s trace traverses the Averihena Tank and surrounding paddy fields which are part of the Thalangama wetland.
This wetland is gazetted as an Environmental Protection Area (EPA) under the National Environmental Act owing to its “ecological, hydrological and historical importance,” Mr Wijesinghe said.
It plays a significant role in flood control, particularly around Parliament. As one of the few green areas left near the city of Colombo, it is valued for its scenic beauty. It is an important area for agriculture, fisheries and recreation and it is used for research and educational purposes as well.
“The Thalangama wetland is an integral part of the Colombo wetlands which earned the distinction as South Asia’s sole Wetland City in 2018 under the Ramsar Convention,” Mr Wijesinghe said in his letter.
“Construction of an elevated highway on columns over this important wetland will certainly damage its biodiversity. It will also affect free flow of water in these flood sensitive areas.”
“In addition, construction of an elevated highway within the EPA is not a permitted activity under the National Environmental Act,” he added.
“Destruction of this wetland will have negative impacts on the international accreditation received as a Wetland City under the Ramsar Convention.”
Mr Wijesinghe said the highlighted issues cannot be considered as “insignificant impacts to the environment”. He had asked the Road Development Authority (RDA) to consider a “better alternative which may have less environmental and social impacts to the environment”.
Under the EPA, the only permitted activities in the gazetted area are paddy cultivation, fishing, nature trails, towers for observation of boards, an environmental information centre and sales outlet and the construction of a security post. Even these activities are subject to conditions. For instance, fishing has to be traditional with no motors. Prior approval of the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) must be approved as well, for the development of any infrastructure facilities.
Even the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the elevated expressway has still not been approved by the CEA, which is also concerned with violation of the Averihena Tank. In the past, the Authority’s EIA division had rejected the RDA’s position that the elevated highway would not cause much hard as it would be built on pillars.