News
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, music festival put to sleep
View(s):By Tharushi Weerasinghe
The Deep Jungle Music Festival, set for this weekend, was cancelled yesterday morning following widespread outcry from activists
and people.
The controversial music festival was set to feature more than 57 artistes on four stages over the span of 100 hours in an elephant-inhabited forest reserve and buffer zone in Habarana.
While the organisers had obtained approval from the Forest Conservation Department, this conditional approval was later withdrawn as activists and environmentalists mounted pressure on the authorities.
“We had been campaigning, along with the Centre for Environmental Justice, Sri Lanka Nature Conservators, and the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) of Sri Lanka, for the cancellation of this event over the past two weeks,” said Rally for Animal Rights and Environment (RARE) Executive Director Panchali Panapitiya.
Since the organisers announced they would be going ahead with the festival despite the withdrawal of approval, the environmental organisations began looking for alternatives and decided to proceed with an action on public nuisance.
“The area’s people were extremely worried about the consequences of scaring animals with loud noises and rightly so because our team in the area saw a herd of elephants, as did the Police officers who visited the area,” she said.
The Hingurakgoda Magistrates Court ordered that no sounds be played between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in accordance with the Police Inspector General’s circular. The Court also ordered that a team consisting of 20 Police officers and ten Wildlife Department officers be deployed to ensure compliance.
The organisers were also ordered to ensure the sounds generated did not go beyond the boundaries of the festival premises, with a warning that non-compliance would result in the seizure of equipment.
Prior to the cancellation, multiple performers pulled out of their sets citing concerns over the location. But the organisers insisted on going ahead with the event, citing that Rs. 33 Mn had been spent to make the event a reality. A 90ft pandal stage and other performance stages had been set up in the venue by Friday.
Deep Jungle Festival Entertainment Director Sumudu Saman Priyaratne said since they had proceeded to invest on the basis of the approvals given by State authorities they would go ahead with the event.
However, following the magistrate’s court order, the organisers put out a statement on social media announcing the cancellation of the event and the assurance of returning money for purchased tickets.
The organisers were not available for comment following the cancellation.
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