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Businessmen, politicians rape isolated forests of NWP aggravating elephant-human conflict – MONLAR

Published

5 years ago

2021/11/13

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Businessmen and politicians keep on clearing isolated forest areas in the North Western provinces and this is aggravating the human elephant conflict in the area in a dramatic way, Sajeewa Chamikara of the Movement for Land and Agriculture Reform (MONLAR) says.

Chamikara told The Island that in recent years there had been a significant spike in the human-elephant conflict in the dry zone mainly due to the massive expansion of maize and sugar cane cultivations in those areas, usually in swathes of cleared forest lands.

“The expansion of these large commercial agro enterprises has displaced elephants from their natural grazing areas and have obstructed their ability to move from one forest area to another. Thus, the elephants are compelled to raid human settlements for fodder, and this has led to many human and elephant deaths. The people affected by the human – elephant conflict are often those who are not responsible for the destruction of elephant havens. Poor farmers unable to cope up with the increasing threat from elephants are selling their lands to large companies,” he said.

Chamikara said that between 1990 and 2000, on average, 150 elephants and 40 humans died per year due to the human-elephant conflict. However, between 2010 and 2018, elephant deaths had increased to 275 and human deaths have increased to 80 per year. The situation became worse in 2019, when 406 elephants and 122 humans died due to the human – elephant conflict. In 2020, 307 elephants and 112 humans died.

Most recently swathes of forests had been cleared at places like Kiribathpelessa, Ehetuwewa, and Kurunegala, Chamikara said. That was the main catchment area of the Palukadawala Tank and was also the home to a large number of elephants. Those were also the nindagam of Nakolagane Raja Maha Vihara, he said.

“By late September about 50 acres had been cleared and another 700 acres given to several businessmen. No one had given these individuals any approval to clear these areas,” he alleged.

Chamikara said that in the Northwestern Province, a large number of elephants lived in isolated forest lands. Those animals spend the day in the forests and come out at night in search of food. Establishing farms by clearing the forest and near the tank will clearly lead to increased human-elephant conflict in the area, he said.

“There are around 5,000 acres of forest land in Nakolagane. There are about 25 tanks in these forests. This is not only a place where elephants feed, but it is also an elephant crossing. There are many tanks that are fed by the forests as well and they are vital for agriculture. The land being cleared belongs to the nindagama of Nakolagane temple,” Chamikara said.

He said that there were four settlements in the nindagama and that clearing up forests for commercial agriculture would greatly endanger those peasants. Already the misuse of lands in the nindagama had led to many issues.

“Many hectares of the nindagama has been cleared for commercial agriculture, to establish granite quarries, soil excavation, unauthorised settlements and the establishment of unsystematic elephant fences. Because of these developments, there has been a spike in human-elephant conflict and degradation of the soil, destabilising of the soil and a drop in ground water level,” he said.

Chamikara said that it was one of the many instances where land in the Northwestern province was being misused. Despite the obvious negative effects, none of the officials had done anything to stop those destructive practices.

“The clearing of these isolated forests are having a devastating impact. Everyone sees that, except those entrusted to act against such activities,” he said.

Seeveral laws too had been violated through those projects, Chamikara said. Almost all the projects violated the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO), no 02 of 1937, amended by Act no 22 of 2009. According to sub section 9 a (01) of the Act, one needs permission from the Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department to carry out any developmental activity within a mile of the border of any national park, he said.

According to sub section 9 a (02) of the Act says that to obtain permission from the Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department, one needs to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment based on National Environmental Act, no 47 of 1980. Sub section 10 (c) of the Act states a person or an organization that carries out any development activity of any description within a mile of the border of any national park “shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine of not less than fifteen thousand rupees and not exceeding fifty thousand rupees or to imprisonment of either description for a term not less than two years and not more than five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”

These also violate the Antiquities (Amendment) Act No. 24 of 1998. An Archaeological Impact Assessment needs to be obtained if one is constructing and reconstructing tanks, carrying out agricultural projects, clearing areas over two acres, and carrying out combined multipurpose development activities including housing, industries and infrastructure facilities of areas exceeding one hectare in extent. This is noted in gazette No. 1152/14 dated 04.10.2000 published under Section 47, read with Section 43(b), of the Antiquities (Amendment) Act, he says.

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Elders’ home devastated by fire was a ‘house of horror’: Witnesses

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/5

Thilina Walpola

Death toll rises to 12: Director remanded

Some residents were allegedly chained

Police have come under public pressure to investigate allegations of inhumane treatmenf the residents at an elders’ home in Batagoda, which was also reportedly used as a care centre for persons with special needs, following a devastating fire that has so far claimed 12 lives.

Eyewitnesses who were among the first responders told the media that several residents had been chained inside rooms at the Senehase Kedella Elders’ Home when the fire broke out on Wednesday. They claimed that rescue efforts were hindered as iron chains could not be removed, and that some residents died while being restrained.

Authorities have not yet verified these claims, and Police said investigations are continuing.

Police spokesman ASP F.U. Wootler, contacted for comment, said there were rumours to that effect, but the Police were not in a position to verify the claims until a report from the Government Analyst was received. He said eight survivors with burn injuries were being treated in hospital.

Meanwhile, the Director of the facility had been arrested and was due to be produced before the Horana Magistrate’s Court, Police said adding that he was remanded till June 11.

The death toll from the fire has risen to 12 as of Thursday morning following the recovery of additional charred remains during ongoing forensic examinations at the site. Six others sustained serious injuries and are being treated at the Horana Base Hospital.

Police said 72 residents were inside the facility at the time of the blaze. Of them, 10 died inside the building, seven were injured and hospitalised, while 51 were rescued and relocated.

Survivors were initially housed at Batagoda Junior School before being transferred with Army assistance to another branch of the same care network in Galpatha.

A magisterial inquiry was conducted on Thursday morning. Horana Magistrate Lakmini Vidanagamage visited the scene. The burnt remains were examined and removed under judicial supervision.

Separately, allegations have emerged that residents were required to pay an admission fee of Rs. 75,000, along with a monthly charge of Rs. 35,000 to the centre. Police have not commented on these claims.

The director was taken to the scene as part of ongoing investigations, while forensic experts continue examinations to determine the cause of the fire, which remains undetermined.Anguruwatota Police are conducting investigations.

By Norman Palihawadane and Nishan S Priyantha

News

CERT : AI-generated videos depicting Prez, PM lure public into financial scams

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/5

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lanka CERT has issued a public warning over the circulation of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated videos falsely depicting President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and several other prominent personalities to promote fraudulent investment schemes online.

According to complaints received by the national cyber security agency, the videos have been created using deepfake technology and are being used as part of attempts to defraud members of the public through financial scams.

The images of famous sports personalities and other public figures have also been misused in the deceptive content.

The agency has warned that similar AI-generated material has been used to spread false information relating to investment opportunities, employment offers, as well as matters concerning the country’s economy and tax policies.

According to Sri Lanka CERT, the videos are being widely shared across online platforms and frequently contain links urging viewers to make investments in return for purported profits.The agency has cautioned that these links may redirect users to fraudulent websites designed to steal personal information, financial data and money from unsuspecting victims.

Sri Lanka CERT has urged the public to exercise extreme caution when encountering such content online and advised against clicking on suspicious links or sharing personal information through unverified websites.

“The public should remain vigilant and avoid becoming victims of false information and online fraud schemes,” the agency said.

Sri Lanka CERT has also encouraged internet users to verify information through official sources before acting on any investment, employment or financial offers circulated via social media or other online platforms.

News

New tax law comes into force

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/5

Thilina Walpola

Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne endorsing the certificate on a Bill (File)

Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne on Wednesday endorsed the certificate on the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill, bringing the legislation into force as the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026, Parliament sources said.

The Bill, which amends the Inland Revenue Act, No. 24 of 2017, was passed by Parliament on May 19.

The new law introduces a series of reforms aimed at modernising tax administration procedures, improving compliance and enforcement mechanisms, enhancing the accuracy of tax calculations and deductions, and strengthening transparency within the tax system.

The amendments also support broader economic policy objectives and include measures designed to reinforce anti-money laundering safeguards.Among the key provisions of the Act is the mandatory use of Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) certificates for specified high-value financial transactions.

The legislation also introduces revisions to the calculation of taxable income, clarifies tax exemptions applicable to certain projects and business entities, and expands the scope for information disclosure to relevant authorities.

The amendments are expected to improve the efficiency of tax administration while facilitating greater accountability and regulatory oversight.With the Speaker’s endorsement of the certificate, the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill has now become law as the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026.