News
Hambantota elephant reserve crisis: Protesting farmers seek presidential intervention
Protesting Hambantota farmers have requested a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, seeking his intervention to resolve Hambantota Managed Elephant Reserve (HMER) issues.
As their protest fast or Satyagraha campaign entered 100 days, Walawa Left Bank Joint Farmers’Association President Mahinda Samarawickrema said they also sought meetings with the Hambantota District Secretary, the Suriyawewa Divisional secretary, officials of the Wildlife Department, the Mahaweli Development Authority and the Archaeological Department to clear doubts about certain issues with regard to a Gazette notification.
Environmental lawyer Nuwan Bopage said the Gazette allowed human activities inside the HMER. The gazette had been issued under Section 2(2) of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance — the same provision was used to permit human activities in the Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte Sanctuary where the Parliament complex had been situated.
Hambantota farmers continue their Satyagraha. Pic by Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi
The Sri Jayawardanepura Kotte sanctuary had been destroyed by human activities just as some 60 other sanctuaries, he said.
“There is a clear difference between national parks, nature reserves and elephant corridors declared under Section 2(1) of the ordinance and those declared under Section 2(2), explained Mr. Bopage. There can be private and state lands inside sanctuaries declared under Section 2(2), he pointed out, adding that, subject to certain limitations, human activities were allowed in such reserves.
The intention of the Gazette is clear. The authorities want to allow people inside the reserve to continue with their activities, causing disturbance to the wildlife, especially elephants, which would, in turn, invade villages, Mr. Bopage said.
The protesting farmers wanted human activities stopped completely inside the HMER and this could be done gradually, he said, calling for a halt to the practice of allocating land inside reserves for human activities.
There are large-scale banana cultivation, solar electricity farms and granite quarries inside the reserve. They should be removed and relocated outside the reserve, within a given time frame, he said, adding that due to such activities, forest areas were being burnt and cleared.
The purpose of the HMER is lost if not human activities inside park is not altogether stopped, he said.