Cabinet approval had been granted to remove the Pandu Karanda tree ( Crudia Zeylanica) located in Daraluwa, Veyangoda and was in the centre of a controversy as it stood in the way of the Central Expressway project, Transport and Highways Minister Bandula Gunawardena said today.
The tree was removed over the weekend despite campaigns by environmentalists earlier.
Minister Gunawardena said if they were to change the route of the expressway – Kadawatha – Mirigama section, it would have cost Rs 15 billion more.
He said therefore the cabinet approval was sought to remove the tree.
He said they have found 12 other trees which are over 40 years old in the area.
A Sri Lankan man was apprehended at Suvarnabhumi airport for attempting to smuggle wildlife out of the country after three ball pythons were found hidden in his underwear, the Bangkok post reported.
The UK government has unveiled a package of reforms to simplify imports from developing countries which allows for more garments manufactured in Sri Lanka to enter the UK tariff-free.
Read these and more on tomorrow’s edition of the Sunday Times
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