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Puttalam district’s forests in peril; ‘Officers involved in various rackets’
Thabbowa Reservation: Giant trees felled. Pic by Hiran Priyankara
Puttalam district is distinguished by its peculiar geographical features, including rich groves of coconut, paddy and vegetable fields, lagoons and a giant network of lakes.
The Thabbowa Reservation, belonging to the Wildlife Conservation Department, and other areas, gazetted and not gazetted, belonging to the Forest Department, are all a part of the Puttalam district’s forest network.
These forests exceed 5000 hectares and on many occasions when the Thabbowa Reservation and other areas under the Forest Department were axed down by business tycoons, the relevant authorities conducted raids and took the culprits into custody.
It is alleged that former divisional secretariats and some Wildlife Department officers who worked in the Puttalam District were also involved directly in the illicit destruction of these forests.
According to environmentalists, recent evidence for this is the handing over of 5000 acres in Wanathawilluwa for coconut cultivation by a former DS of Wanathawilluwa. While some officers are engaged in such land dealings, others bound by duty to protect conservation land are destroying it by handing it over to businessmen, they say.
In the face of these incidents, another racket, an act of irresponsible officers destroying about 100 hectares in the Thabbowa Reservation and the Sellakanda Reservation in Puttalam, is taking place under the pretext of using them for growing more trees.
It is alleged that wildlife conservation officers were to grow other trees with the participation of people in the area, after cutting down valuable trees such as margosa, burutha and ebony.
It is alleged that 40-50 huge, old margosa trees have been felled and are to be replaced by seedlings, including a plant called ‘kaya’ imported from another country.
After this incident was revealed by the media, an investigation was carried out.
“It is not the property of any institution to destroy. Also, without following any accepted method nobody can destroy this forest network. Is the Wild Conservation Department going to replant the forest with other plants, after destroying the original forest?” Wayamba Environment organiser Ajith Gihan asked.
“Amidst all these rackets, the Human-Elephant conflict will worsen. This crime committed by the Conservation Department cannot be justified in any way,” he added. “We have no objection to Conservation Department replanting the forest. The problem is them destroying the already existing forest and its wild life,” Mannawwe Pagnarama Thera of Sri Lumbini Viharayain Karuwalgaswewa said.
“Replanting forests takes place with the participation of people. Replanting about 100 hectares in the Puttalam and Anamaduwa Conservation Department areas is being done by the Wildlife Department and Forest Conservation State Ministry,” Sarath Kumara, the District Conservation Officer for Puttalam, said. “Selected farmers have to plant seedlings obtained from the Conservation Department. They are also given a payment and subsidiary crop cultivation is allowed for five years,” he added.
When asked if any feasibility study was conducted he said “there was no need for it.”
But environment lawyer Jagath Gunawardena said, “If more than one hectare is cleared, then a feasibility study should be conducted and a report obtained.”