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Who is doing what with the treasure of the Muthurajawela wetlands?
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The destruction at the Muthurajawela wetlands. Pix by M. A. Pushpa kumara.
Environmentalists say private companies trying to grab land for hotels and golf courses, but ministry officials say allegations are baseless
Environmental groups are questioning the Government’s plan to hand over Muthurajawela wetland to the Urban Development Authority (UDA), without much notice.
The wetlands were handed over to the UDA by a gazette issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).
Environmental Activist the Venerable Pahiyangala Ananada Thera said the Government had decided to transfer the wetlands, which in 1996 were named by the DWC as a sanctuary.
The thera said in 2006 during the tenure of then Environmental Minister Maithripala Sirisena another gazette notification was issued allowing people to use the land for hotels and parks, after agreeing to some conditions.
“Bordering the western shore line, the Negombo lagoon and the Colombo Main road, the Muthurajawela wetlands mainly consist of wildlife land, paddy farm land, coconut land and grasslands. This area is rich in biodiversity inlcuding endemic fish, reptiles and mammals. It also attracts both local and migratory birds,” he said.
Meanwhile a large-scale construction company, under the guise of using the land for a small hotel, grabbed around 1200 acres of land and part of this was 800 acres of DWC land.
The Venerable Ananda Thera said some corrupt Govi Jana Seva and Central Environmental Authority (CEA) officials were also involved with the company, and they were allowing it to acquire more land.
Meanwhile the UDA, during the Yahapalana Government period, conducted waste filling by dumping garbage from Colombo, Peliyagoda and other areas. It cleared and filled wetlands in Muthurajawela. The monk said the wetlands could not be conserved by the UDA, as the authority was assigned for development.
He said a biodiversity rich area such as Muthurajawela was given to the DWC due to the conservation and therefore handing over the land to the UDA was wrong.
He urged the Government to give the land back to the DWC.
The organisation in charge of protecting the Muthurajawela Sanctuary also said if the wetlands were handed over to an authority that engaged in development no conservation would take place.
The organisation’s leader, Anil Jayamaha said the Muthurajawela wetlands were one of the best water retaining areas that prevented floods. He said the lands surrounding the sanctuary area belong to the Govi Jana Seva Department, while the sanctuary belongs to the DWC.
He complained that a private company was grabbing land and conducting illegal waste filling, even when they were challenged in courts.
DWC Director General Chandana Sooriyabandara told the Sunday Times even though he had heard a rumour about Muthurajawela being handed over to the UDA, he had not been officially informed about it.
Amidst the protests, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera and Urban Development State Minister Nalaka Godahewa said they were only acquiring the private land around and within the sanctuary to stop the illegal clearing and environmental destruction.
Environment Minister Amaraweera said the UDA was not taking over the land belonging to the DWC, but actually acquiring land belonging to private companies.
He claimed the environmentalists were making baseless allegations that the UDA was trying to take over DWC lands to set up hotels and golf courses. The Minister said they planning to acquire land belonging to the private companies and develop it these lands, like the Diyawanna lake was beautified, while preserving the forested area.
Meanwhile State Minister Godahewa said even though Muthurajawela sanctuary was under the DWC, there had not been a land demarcation therefore within a period of 70 years the land has been grabbed by private companies.
However, Ananda Thera said the private companies had cleared 80 percent of the wildlife land. He said in a sanctuary, walking paths and beautification could not be done. If that was done that would be illegal and harmful for the environment.
He said the companies were using the UDA to achieve their goals without hindrance from environmentalists.