News

Church opposes government takeover of Muthurajawela wetlands

Published

4 years ago

2021/11/14

(Vatican News) In an official Gazette notification on October 07 by the government of Sri Lanka, the Western Province’s Urban Development Authority (UDA) has decided to take over a part of the land of the Muthurajawela wetlands, situated some 30 km north of the capital Colombo, near the western coastal city of Negombo.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, on Saturday filed a petition with the Sri Lankan Supreme Court against the appropriation, saying the project would affect the livelihoods of the people and various religious sites in the area.

On Sunday, the Archdiocese of Colombo, under whose jurisdiction comes Negombo and the marshlands, released brochures and leaflets explaining to the faithful about the possible damages the government’s move could cause.

On Tuesday, priests and nuns joined a street demonstration in Negombo in which hundreds of fishermen and women protested against the government’s move. They also demanded justice for the families of the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist bomb attacks.

“The acquisition of the lands will be a great disaster for the people,” said Father Jayantha Nimal, parish priest of St. Nicholas Church in Bopitiya. Addressing the demonstrators, he urged authorities not to deprive the people of their right to live freely. “We ask the government to listen to the voice of the people,” he said, adding the acquisition of land around the wetlands will cause great damage to the environment as well as the fishing community.

Father Ranjith Terry, the parish priest of St. Mary’s Church at Pitipana in Negombo, urged people to remain united in the fight for justice.

Romel Fernando, who participated in the demonstrations, said the government wanted to undermine the activities of the priests and rights activist

Human rights activist Brito Fernando said: “We took to the streets to tell the government that we would not remain silent while our lands and sea are being taken away.”

The government’s move and the protests come as the crucial COP26 United Nations climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, are trying to decide on a final agreement to rein in global warming by slashing greenhouse gases.

Among the several respondents mentioned in Cardinal Ranjith’s writ petition are Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, State Minister of Urban Development Nalaka Godahewa, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, the UDA and the Environment department.

Cardinal Ranjith said that Catholics across the island nation were appalled by the Gazette notification which would also mean the acquiring of coastal Catholic churches by the UDA. According to him, the acquisition of the part of Muthurajawela “would severely affect the livelihoods of the people living in the area.” “There are a number of religious sites”, and “religious activities would also be adversely affected,” AsiaNews reported the cardinal as saying.

Known for its unique and highly diverse ecosystem, the Muthurajawela marshlands are listed as one of the 12 priority wetlands in Sri Lanka. Besides hosting over 190 species of flora and 200 species of fauna, the area is a major local and tourist attraction, which also supports the local economy.

Kavinda Jayawardena, a Catholic lawmaker from the Jaela Gampaha district, and fishermen from the Negombo area have challenged the UDA’s land acquisition, saying it is “a violation of the fundamental human rights enshrined in the Constitution.”

The government has said that it wants to protect Muthurajawela, but it is actually planning to build a power plant that would serve the city of Colombo.

Environmentalist Dinusha Nanayakkara spoke to AsiaNews about the rich flora and fauna of the wetland, adding it is also a stopping a reproducing ground for flocks of migratory birds. Most importantly, the benefits of the wetland are not limited to the environment but also to the economy and local communities.

Nanayakkara notes that according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, flood control by the wetlands saves the Sri Lankan government an equivalent of US$ 2.4 million with an additional economic benefit of US$ 3.6 million. The environmentalist lamented that in recent years, Muthurajawela has been facing progressive degradation with animal remains from slaughterhouses and wastewaters from illegal liquor production dumped into its streams. It has also fallen prey to illegal buildings.

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News

Prime Minister meets delegation from the European External Action Service

Published

2 hours ago

2026/02/12

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with the representatives of the European External Action Service [EEAS] on Tuesdqy [10 th February] at the Prime Minister’s office.

Welcoming the delegation from the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of further strengthening and deepening the long-standing partnership between Sri Lanka and the European Union, noting the role of the European Union as a key development and economic partner.

The Prime Minister also expressed appreciation for the timely assistance extended by the European Union to Sri Lanka in response to the recent cyclone, highlighting the EU’s continued solidarity and support during times of need.

Attention was drawn to the need to expand economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and the European Union. The Prime Minister underscored the importance of undertaking necessary legislative and policy reforms to facilitate enhanced economic engagement, trade, and investment.

The delegation was briefed on the ongoing initiatives and reforms being implemented by the new Government aimed at strengthening economic stability, governance, and creating a conducive environment for sustainable growth and international cooperation.

The meeting was attended by the Acting Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific in the European External Action Service, EU co-chair of the Joint Commission, Ms. Paola Pampaloni; EU Ambassador, Head of EU Delegation Ms. Carmen Moreno and the representatives of European External Action Services and Delegation of the European Union, and Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister, Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta and the officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, Tourism Sri Lanka.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

Business

Newly appointed ADB Country Director to Sri Lanka and delegation meet PM

Published

5 hours ago

2026/02/12

Priyan

The newly appointed Country Director of the Asian Development Bank for Sri Lanka Ms Shannon Cowlin and the accompanying delegation met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Tuesday [0th of February] at the Prime Minister’s office.

Welcoming the delegation, the Prime Minister extended congratulations to the newly appointed Country Director and acknowledged the long-standing partnership with the Asian Development Bank. The Prime Minister also expressed appreciation for ADB Bank’s continued engagement and support aligned with Sri Lanka’s national development priorities.

The Prime Minister also conveyed gratitude for the timely assistance extended by the ADB in response to Cyclone Ditwah, noting the importance of such support in mitigating the immediate impacts of natural disasters.

The ADB delegation reiterated its readiness to further assist Sri Lanka during the post-cyclone recovery phase, including rebuilding and reconstruction efforts, and emphasized its commitment to the supporting the education sector.

The meeting was attended by OIC / Deputy Director General, SARD Ms. Sona Shrestha, Ms. Cholpon Mambetova Country Operations Head of ADB Sri Lanka Mission Resident, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta, Director General of the External Resource Department, Ministry of Finance Samantha Bandara, Director for ADB Division in External Resource Department, Ministry of Finance Ranjith Gurusinghe.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

School student transport services are being regulated

Published

5 hours ago

2026/02/12

Priyan

A discussion on regulating school student transport services was held on the 09th of February at the Prime Minister’s Office under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, with the participation of officials from the National Transport Commission and the Ministry of Education.

The authority for regulating school student transport has been vested with the National Transport Commission, and as the relevant draft of regulations have already been prepared, discussions were held on the provisions contained in these drafts as well as on new proposals that should be incorporated.

During the discussion, the attention was focused on meeting the emerging needs of transportation arising from the schools, minimizing issues encountered in the transportation of school students by establishing an organized transport mechanism, and deploying the “Sisu Sariya” school transport service in a more efficient and effective manner followed by the new educational reforms process.

Discussions were also held on introducing laws and regulations to systematize the transportation of schoolchildren, prioritizing child protection by preventing reported incidents of abuse and harassment during student transport, and enhancing professionalism among school transport service providers to ensure a responsible and accountable service.

The focus was also emphasized on the need for coordinated action among the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, the National Transport Commission, the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, and the National Child Protection Authority.

The discussion was attended by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake, Chairman of the National Transport Commission P. A. Chandrapala, officials of the National Transport Commission, and the officials from the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]