Minister calls for report on destruction of trees

By Ifham Nizam

Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday instructed the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to submit a report on the recent destruction of 28 trees at the Rajapihilla Park in Kurunegala.

Earlier, a large number of environmental organisations wrote to the Minister in this regard, urging him to act fast against the culprits.

This prompted Amaraweera to inquire whether the CEA or its district officials had a hand in feeling trees which were hundreds of years old.

He said that the relevant parties had stated that those trees had been cut down to carry out development work.

Environmentalists had inquired about the matter and that certain posts on social media had been criticizing the government for the destruction of trees.

Commenting on the felling of 28 trees in the Rajapihilla Park, the Minister said that the situation prevailing in the country due to Covid-19 had created an opportunity for some people to destroy trees.

Therefore, it was the responsibility of the Ministry to deploy officials to investigate such destruction and to provide accurate information to the media, he said.