By Ifham Nizam

Environmentalists while praising the Cabinet paper ‘Towards the  Green Socio-Economic Pattern’, presented by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that if what was outlined in the paper was put into practice Sri Lanka would benefit tremendously.

Centre for Environmental Justice, Executive Director Hemanatha Withanage however cautioned that the Cabinet paper should not be a mere cosmetic exercise.

Withanage stressed that he did not expect the business sector to stop the use of agro-chemicals as they were more concerned about their bottom line.

Environmentalist Ven. Pahiyangala Anandasagara Thera said that the Cabinet Memorandum was an excellent one. “We have called on all governments since 2012 to give priority to organic farming in this country. But due to the provision of free chemical fertilisers, our generation of farmers is disappearing  today. It is the generation of experienced farmers in our country who are dying of kidney disease.”

Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the Cabinet Memorandum had included 20 points regarding the sustainable environment and agricultural development in Sri Lanka.

“It proposes to implement organic farming instead of toxic agriculture which has led to an increase in the number of kidney  and cancer patients here,” the Minister said.

He said that it was the intention of the President to implement a number of initiatives by the government for sustainable environmental development.

The government has allocated Rs. 1 billion from the last budget to provide the required organic fertilizer for organic farming. All the rivers, streams, wells and ponds in Sri Lanka today are polluted due to the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. “No matter how much water there is in our country, we cannot consume it without fear,” the minister said.

President Rajapaksa has instructed that this programme be implemented immediately. Therefore, in implementing the proposals in the Cabinet paper, decisions will be taken in consultation with all environmental organisations and knowledgeable experts.

The Minister said: “The President told us that no matter what anyone says, we will not import chemical fertilizers, again. This decision may be somewhat controversial. But in two or three years we will be able to get used to organic farming. I see the use of chemical fertilizers as an addiction.”