No stopping of Rumassala hotel and road?

By Ifham Nizam

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) would not approve the construction of a road that would cause damage to the Rumassala ecosystem, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said, adding that the Southern Provincial Director of Environment had been instructed to take necessary steps to remove the gravel from the existing narrow road and to see if it could be done in an environmentally friendly manner.

Amaraweera also instructed the officials of the CEA to submit an environmental impact assessment report fast. Further steps regarding the road should be taken on the basis of the environmental study report.

A group of villagers last week presented their grievances to the Minister.

Minister summoned the Southern Provincial Director of Environment and asked him to look into the request and see if the request could be met in a way that would not harm the highly sensitive ecosystem there.

A 20-foot road was to be built in a very environmentally sensitive location leading to a hotel, which was under construction, despite objections by officials, Environmental Scientist at the Centre for Environment Nature Studies (CENS), Dr. Ravindra Kariywasam said

Wildlife officials had objected to both the hotel and the road, but their objections had been ignored due to political influence, Kariyawasam said. The hotel was being constructed by former President Maithripala Srisena’s brother Dudley, he added.