News
MONLAR: SL has lost million hectares of forest cover since 1960
Tea plantations biggest culprit
BY Rathindra Kuruwita
Sri Lanka has lost about 947,370 hectares of forest between 1960 and 2010, Sajeewa Chamikara of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) says.
The last survey on forests was carried out in 2010 by the Forest Conservation Department. By 2010 the forest cover had shrunk to 29.7 percent or 1, 951, 472 hectares.
Between 1992 and 2010, Sri Lanka lost 16, 922 hectares of forests in the wet-zone. Since then, the forests in the wet-zone had further dwindled due to the expansion of tea cultivation, Chamikara said yesterday.
“Tea plantations that lead to the destruction of rainforests can be considered green deserts. Biodiversity on these plantations is low. Tea planters use a lot of toxic agrochemicals. There are no plant layers. Thus, these lands lose most of their biodiversity and become deserts for all practical purposes, despite being green,” he said.
Chamikara said the British had cleared up vast extents of forest lands on mountains and rid those areas of elephants. By 1860, Sri Lanka was among the top producers of coffee. By 1870, coffee plantations covered 275,000 acres. However, soon afterwards, coffee plantations were devastated by a fungal disease, Hemileia vastatrix, also known as coffee leaf rust.
Chamikara said that while tea used to be a major foreign exchange earner, the situation had changed. The yield of most large-scale tea estates was dwindling rapidly due to soil degradation and unsustainable cultivation practices.
“We have several institutions that have been established to develop tea. However, they believe we are still living in the late 19th century, when we had plenty of virgin land, cheap labour and there was no stiff competition,” Chamikara said.
Meanwhile, Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Plantation Industries and Minister of Industries, said that there had been reports of illegal expansion of tea plantations into forests. However, it was not the policy of his Ministry to encourage such practices and the Forest Department must take immediate action against those who carried out such illegal activities.
Minister Pathirana added that the industry also needed to be more sustainable and tea smallholders were already interested in multi-cropping and that the Ministry had spoken to all stakeholders about improving sustainability.
“Now, we can’t push businesses to shift to agroforestry or multi-cropping. But environmentalists and environmental-minded planters can work together, create better systems and then everyone will follow,” he said.
The Indian Navy Ship (INS) NIREEKSHAK arrived in Sri Lanka for Operational Turnaround (OTR) and a training visit on 21 Apr 26.
The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship at the port of Colombo in accordance with time-honoured naval traditions.
Commanded by, Commander Sailesh Kumar Tyagi, this Diving Support Vessel is set to conduct a training programme with the diving professionals of the Sri Lanka Navy.
The crew is also scheduled to participate in several activities organized by the Sri Lanka Navy and visit some tourist attractions within the country.
Latest News
Advisory for Severe Lightning issued to the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, North-central, Southern, Uva provinces, and Mannar, Vavuniya, Ampara, Batticaloa districts
Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 12.00 noon 21 April 2026 valid for the period until 11.30 p.m. 21 April 2026
Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, Northcentral, Southern, Uva provinces, and in Mannar, Vavuniya, Ampara, Batticaloa districts after 1.00 p.m.
There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities
Two High Commissioners, three Ambassadors and an Apostolic Nuncio-designate of the Holy See presented their credentials to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (20).
The ceremony, held at 10.00 a.m., followed the formal order of precedence, with the envoys representing Papua New Guinea, Somalia, Luxembourg, the Holy See, Pakistan and Kuwait.
Accordingly, diplomats who presented their credentials were:
01. Vincent Sumale, High Commissioner-designate of Papua New Guinea (Based in New Delhi)
02. Abdullahi Mohammed Odowa, Ambassador-designate of Somalia (Based in New Delhi)
03. Christian Biever, Ambassador-designate of Luxembourg (Based in New Delhi)
04. Monsignor Andrzej Józwowicz, Apostolic Nuncio-designate of the Holy See
05. Major General (Retd) Nayyar Naseer, High Commissioner-designate of Pakistan
06. Saleh Mubarak Al-Sarawi, Ambassador-designate of Kuwait
Following the presentation of credentials, the President engaged in a cordial discussion with them. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, and the Secretary to the President, Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, were also in attendance.
INS NIREEKSHAK makes port call in Colombo
Advisory for Severe Lightning issued to the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, North-central, Southern, Uva provinces, and Mannar, Vavuniya, Ampara, Batticaloa districts
US, Iran exchange threats as fragile ceasefire set to expire
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Showers or thundershowers will occur at most places of the island after 1.00 pm
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