Letters to the Editor
View(s):Unjust rent for Justice Ministry?
However, the decision of the government to place the said Ministry at the World Trade Center, one of the most iconic commercial buildings at a colossal expense of Rs.400 Million as rent for two years, makes us raise not one but both brows as such a decision reeks with a stench that leaves one breathless and completely shattered in the realization that old habits die hard and games continue to be played at the expense of the public.
The World Trade Center is one of the most exclusive and sought after commercial properties in Colombo at present. Current tenants of the WTC building include the Colombo Stock Exchange, the Securities Exchange Commission and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. If the Government requires a larger presence in this iconic building, would it not be more logical for the Trade Ministry, or a Ministry related to local industry and commerce be housed here, rather than the Ministry of Justice which has no nexus to trade or commerce?
The administrative capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardanepura Kotte. The Parliament, most of the Ministries relating to administration and governance and several other important government agencies such as the UDA, Registrar of Persons, Central Environmental Authority etc are located in the area of Battaramulla and Pelawatte in government owned buildings or those rented at a rate far below the Colombo commercial rates for property. Even the Tri Forces Headquarters is presently at Akuregoda Road in Pelawatte.
The government has in the last 10-12 years paid much focus in improving the infrastructure in this area presumably with the intention of shifting the entire administration of the country to Sri Jayawardanepura Kotte. There are many buildings in this area which can easily accommodate the Justice Ministry and much land which could be built upon.
The Ministry of Justice is not an institution which is frequented by the public and provides public services on a daily basis. The objectives of the Ministry of Justice as displayed in its website is the “Formulation and implementation of policies, plans and programmes aimed at the efficient and meaningful administration of Justice and Law reform for greater recognition, protection and promotion of the rights of the citizens.” Why the Ministry of Justice requires Rs.400 Million worth of floor space of the most sought after commercial property in town to achieve this objective, is anybody’s guess.
The Minister for Justice in a recent press interview stated that a location closer to Hulftsdorp was selected as the Ministry of Justice has to constantly interact with the AG’s Department, the Judiciary and the Legal Draftsman’s Department. This explanation, no doubt assiduously prepared for the press conference, places in issue the independence of the Attorney General’s Department and the Judiciary, where the Minister is of the view that daily interactions with these institutions are mandatory.
Furthermore, in this day and age of the telephone, internet and other digital platforms, does a move to a more cost effective location, really cause that much inconvenience? The cost of courier services and other internet services added to the rent would yet be far less than what is paid for the commercial hot spot rented by the Government.
We sincerely hope that our President who leads by example, will now not succumb to the whims and fancies of his lackeys and permit them to squander public funds in an environment where every rupee in the Treasury is needed to combat COVID-19 repercussions, resurrect the economy of Sri Lanka and alleviate the many hardships of the general public. The country did not vote in this government, only to see a repetition of the Sabitha saga!
Concerned citizen Via email
Talangama wetlands under a highway to destruction
A map of the proposed first and second alternatives to build the elevated highway from Rajagiriya to Athurugiriya
The Ramsar accreditation of Colombo wetlands and the rebranding of Colombo as a Wetland City happened during the 13th Conference of the parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands held in Dubai on October 25, 2018. Eighteen cities were declared as wetland cities across the globe and Colombo emerged the only South Asian city amongst them. The Colombo wetland complex spreads across Baddagana, Diyasauru, Heen ela, Kolonnawa, Kotte, Maddinnagoda, Mulleriyawa, and Talangama.
Farmers and residents around the Talangama wetlands are simply aghast that plans to construct the Elevated Highway Project from Rajagiriya to Athurugiriya over or along these wetlands is rearing its head again. Last week, (in the midst of a pandemic) farmers once again observed officials stealthily moving around their paddy fields calculating, measuring and segregating. They were asked to inform all owners to plant a wooden stake on their boundaries with their telephone numbers written on it.
The Talangama wetlands was declared an Environmental Protection Area (EPA) under the National Environmental Act in 2007 and the CEA gazetted the Talangama wetland as an Environmental Protection Area. So the question is, as required, has approval for this been obtained from the CEA?
The initial proposal of the RDA was to have the elevated highway over the Averihena Lake. But upon concerns raised by the CEA, the RDA then proposed an alternative route from Pothuarawa. But residents quickly protested asking why the RDA chose a highly residential area requiring the demolishing of over 100 houses. Nobody is now aware of what decisions have presently been reached. Least of all the residents.
Environment and Wildlife Resources Secretary A.H. Sarath Wijesinghe wrote to the Ministry Secretary in June this year mentioning inter alia that, 3.15 kms of this elevated highway will traverse the Talangama wetlands and that such a construction within this EPA is not permitted under the National Environment Protection Act. In 2019, I was one of the 200 signatories from this area who wrote to the then President (copied to all relevant policy makers) protesting the construction of this elevated highway over the wetlands. But it seems our voices are not worthy of being “heard”.
The Talangama lake was man-made centuries ago for the purpose of irrigation, and is surrounded by many beautiful paddy fields, ponds, canals and marshes. It supports a very rich ecosystem hosting thousands of species of exotic flora, over a hundred different species of birds, several species of butterflies and dragonflies, a few species of damselflies, reptiles and amphibians, and small mammals.
The Talangama Wetlands is well known as a paradise for birds. Just to demonstrate the richness of the Talangama wetlands, one morning in March, environmentalist Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne sighted 70 species of water birds, forest birds and garden birds in just 4 hours and 16 minutes. Add to this the other nocturnal birds and this tally will soar. His overall objective was to drive home the fact that Colombo is unique as a capital city in having such a rich wetland at its doorstep. And that, he cannot think of any capital city which has such a bio-diversity rich wetland so close to it.
Far too few people in Colombo, even amongst wildlife enthusiasts realise how rich this wetland really is. Wijeyeratne also confirms that there are only a few sites in Sri Lanka where in the course of a day one can sight over a hundred species. So given Talangama wetlands’ urban location, it demonstrates how rich a wildlife refuge it is and how precious it is as an educational and recreational resource for Colombo’s growing population. Reading his short article “Bird Paradise in Talangama Wetlands Surrounding the Lake” will definitely inspire people to pay more attention to wildlife and wetlands closer to home.
The Ramsar Convention (an international treaty for the conservation and suitable utilization of wetlands) defines wetlands as ‘areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres’. Wetlands can help in the mitigation of floods, offer protection from storms, help in the retention of sediment, act as a carbon sink, and be an excellent purifier of water.
I recently came across an apt observation in Piyumani Ranasinghe’s 2018 article in the Daily FT:
“The misconception of development as synonymous to large-scale infrastructure development programmes at the cost of the environment is one of the largest threat to our wetlands right now. While the right to development is unarguably important, policy making should not be clouded with the misconception of “develop now and clean up later”. These services rendered by wetlands are socio-economical. The issue arises where the public, municipal planning and decision makers do not calculate in these economic benefits of wetlands and overlook how wetlands make cities livable. Shifting this mindset thus is a fundamental part of the wetland city project conservation. In certain cases, some wetlands are being directly encroached by politically-backed parties, where the conflict of interests not only victimizes the wetlands but also destroys the pristine environments leaving the biodiversity of these wetlands at stake”.
For the past 15 years I have grown traditional varieties of paddy ecologically here and my heart bleeds together with all the other farmers along this wonderful and pristine paddy belt. Here we are standing at the edge of our bunds and visualizing these ghastly concrete structures towering over our fields while toxic emissions fume, consume and spin around to settle on our wetlands and then drive and smash our bio diversity into smithereens. Healthy ecosystems clean our water, purify our air, maintain our soil, regulate the climate, recycle nutrients and provide us with food. So biodiversity is certainly the key indicator of the health of an ecosystem.
Policy makers must take a good look at the 100 page well researched document, “Metro Colombo Wetland Management Strategy” available on the internet. The President will most certainly agree that, before any development work is to commence, the environmental laws and authorities should be consulted and adhered to.
Jomo Uduman Pothuarawa