President halts construction of road skirting Sinharaja

By Ifham Nizam 

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has ordered the suspension of the construction of a road between Neluwa Lankagama and Pitadeniya , skirting the Sinharaja rainforest. Environmentalists who were up in arms welcomed the presidential action.

Convener of the Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka, Jayantha Wijesingha congratulated the President for his prompt decision.

The Centre for Environment and Nature Studies (CENS) on Sunday sought President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s intervention to prevent the construction of a concrete road through the Sinharaja forest.

CENS Convener Dr. Ravindra Kariyawasam said that construction  of access road to Sinharaja had destroyed the biodiversity of the vicinity.

He told The Island that the government should stop the project completely.

Some 1.5km stretch of the 32km road had been completed by Sunday. According to Kariyawasam, although the width of the road was to be eight feet, in some places it was as wide as 20 feet.

Road Development Authority (RDA) Chairman Chaminda Athuluwage has said that if there is any issue regarding the project, that can be discussed.

The construction work to expand the road bordering the Sinharaja Forest commenced during the first week of August.

The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has written to Secretary, Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation M.K.B. Harischandra and Secretary, Ministry of Environment Dr. Anil Jasinghe about the serious threat due to the illegal expansion of the road between Neluwa to Deniyaya via Lankagama by the Army personnel on the instructions of the RDA. Lankagama is a village located within the Sinharaja rain forest, which has now exceeded its boundaries beyond limits, CEJ Executive Director Hemantha Withanage said.

“We have learned that the road expansion is already causing many disturbances to the forest including illicit felling, removing soil and dumping it on slopes.”

According to Withanage the road widening would destroy many trees and important habitats including 38 large trees.