News
More than 10,000 acres of forest already destroyed under present govt. – JVP
National Committee Member of the SYU Sanjaya Wishwanath flanked by Colombo District Organiser Anjana Sampath Amarasinghe (Left) and National Organizer Eranga Gunasekera addressing media at the JVP headquarters in Pelawatte yesterday,
By Saman Indrajith
The JVP’s youth wing Socialist Youth Union yesterday alleged that around 10,000 acres of forests had been cleared since the new government came to power.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte yesterday, National Organizer of the SYU Eranga Gunasekera said development did not mean increasing the number of concrete buildings at the expense of the environment. “We received information that Dahaiyagala forest in Thanamalwila was being cleared on Jan 30. Our members visited the area on Feb 20 and 21 and witnessed that around 1,000 acres had been cleared. We have videos and photos to prove that trees that are older than 75-100 years have been felled. According to villagers the jungle had been cleared to help a businessman who is building a resort in the jungle. Two acres in Anavilundawa Ramsar wetland site had been bulldozed. Ten acres of Vanathavilluwa jungle had been cleared up. We have information that 5,426 acres in the Galawalayaya jungle belonging to the Veddah people have been cleared. A crony businessman of the government has been given permission to grow aloe vera in 1,500 acres of Wilapattu jungle. Another businessman has been given permission to clear 150 acres in the Ratmale reserve in Horowpathana. Seven hundred acres of the Muthurajawela marshland jungle has been bulldozed. Two and half acres of Kurunegala Rajapeela forest have been cleared. Ten acres of another forest in Agundawa in the Sigiriya have been cleared by another government crony businessman. An extent of eight acres is being cleared in Gotiyagama in Sinharaja. Twenty one acres of Thabbowa jungle in Kruwalagaswewa have been destroyed in the name of development. Ten acres of jungle near Kodagoda in Thanamalwila have been cleared. Regional politicians and businessmen friends of the ruling party are engaged in this destruction.”
“In these cases the clearings have been done using bulldozers. Everybody knows that the villagers in nearby areas cannot afford to hire bulldozers and those jungle clearings have been done by very powerful politicians and their businessmen cronies,” he said.
Gunasekera said that the incumbent government and its Viyathmaga group were critical of what the previous government had done. “The Vistas of Splendour manifesto promised to increase the country’s forest cover by 30 per cent but their acts are totally opposite of the promises they made,” he said
National Committee Member of the SYU Sanjaya Wishwanath said that the past year would go on the records someday as the one which witnessed the highest number of destruction inflicted on the environment. “We are planning to line up the youth of this country against the environment destruction. We are planning to stage countrywide protests. We hope those who love the environment will line up with us to save the environment.”
Colombo District Organiser of SYU Anjana Sampath Amarasinghe also addressed the press.
The Sri Lanka Navy rescued a fisherman from a local fishing trawler that encountered distress due to adverse weather conditions off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka.
The rescue operation took place on 17 July 2026, approximately 15 nautical miles off Pothuvil. The operation was launched following information received by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo.
In response, the Sri Lanka Navy deployed the Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Vijayabahu along with additional craft to conduct a search operation in the designated sea area, where they successfully located the distressed fisherman.
Following the rescue, the individual was brought aboard SLNS Vijayabahu, where naval personnel administered preliminary first aid. He was subsequently brought to the mainland and rushed for further medical attention.
Meanwhile, the Navy, along with the coordination of MRCC Colombo, remains constantly prepared to swiftly respond to the eventualities faced by maritime and fishing communities operating within the island’s Search and Rescue Region (SRR).
The countrywide dengue outbreak has intensified, with the death toll rising to 50, by July 16, as the number of reported infections surpassed 73,000, according to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU).
The country has recorded 73,455 dengue cases so far this year, with the case fatality rate standing at 0.07 percent, highlighting the severity of the ongoing outbreak.
The Western Province continues to remain the worst affected region, accounting for more than half of the total cases, with 38,700 infections. The Gampaha District has recorded the highest number of cases in the province with 15,341, followed closely by Colombo with 14,625.
The Southern Province has reported 11,382 cases, while the Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces have each recorded more than 6,000 infections.
Dengue cases have shown a sharp increase in recent months, with June recording the highest monthly total of 21,538 cases, while July has already reported 18,076 infections. In comparison, 8,590 cases were reported in May, and 5,651 in April.
Health authorities have identified 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas as high-risk locations during the 27th epidemiological week. An average of 2,677 new dengue cases are being reported daily, prompting authorities to intensify prevention and mosquito control measures.
The Colombo High Court yesterday (17) resumed hearing the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The proceedings were held before High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga, where evidence was recorded from prosecution witnesses, under the direction of Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara.
President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis, appearing for Yoshitha Rajapaksa, cross-examined the witnesses during the hearing.
After recording evidence, the court ordered that further examination of evidence be postponed until July 24.
The Attorney General has filed indictments, alleging that Yoshitha Rajapaksa committed an offence, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by purchasing five plots of land in Dehiwala and Ratmalana, valued at more than Rs. 73 million.
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