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Regulatory rollback tailored for “politically backed megaprojects”— Environmentalists

Published

2 months ago

2025/12/11

Investigations have revealed that the government’s controversial easing of environmental regulations appears closely aligned with the interests of a small but powerful coalition of politically connected investors, environmentalists have alleged.

The move weakens key Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements and accelerates approvals for high-risk projects, has triggered a storm of criticism from environmental scientists, civil society groups and even sections within the administration, they have claimed.

Environmental Scientist Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice, told The Island that the policy reversal “bears the fingerprints of elite political financiers who view Sri Lanka’s natural assets as commodities to be carved up for profit.”

“This is not accidental. This is deliberate restructuring to favour a specific group of power brokers,” he told The Island. “The list of beneficiaries is clear: large-scale mineral extraction interests, luxury hotel developers targeting protected coastlines, politically backed hydropower operators, industrial agriculture companies seeking forest land, and quarry operators with direct political patronage.”

Information gathered through government insiders points to four clusters of projects that stand to gain substantially:

Several politically shielded operators have been lobbying for years to weaken environmental checks on silica sand mining, gem pit expansions, dolomite extraction and rock quarrying in the central and northwestern regions.

High-end tourism ventures — especially in coastal and wetland buffer zones — have repeatedly clashed with community opposition and EIA conditions. The rollback clears obstacles previously raised by environmental officers.

At least half a dozen mini-hydro proposals in protected catchments have stalled due to community objections and ecological concerns. The new rules are expected to greenlight them.

Plantation and agribusiness companies with political links are seeking access to forest-adjacent lands, especially in the North Central and Uva Provinces.

“These sectors have been pushing aggressively for deregulation,” a senior Ministry source confirmed. “Now they’ve got exactly what they wanted.”

Internal rifts within the Environment Ministry are widening. Several senior officers told The Island they were instructed not to “delay or complicate” approvals for projects endorsed by select political figures.

A senior officer, requesting anonymity, said:

“This is not policymaking — it’s political engineering. Officers who raise scientific concerns are sidelined.”

Another added:”There are files we cannot even question. The directive is clear: expedite.”

Opposition parliamentarians are preparing to demand a special parliamentary probe into what they call “environmental state capture” — the takeover of regulatory functions by those with political and financial leverage.

“This is governance for the few, not the many,” an Opposition MP told The Island. “The rollback benefits the government’s inner circle and their funders. The public gets the consequences: floods, landslides, water scarcity.”

Withanage issued a stark warning:

“When rivers dry up, when villages are buried in landslides, when wetlands vanish, these will not be natural disasters. These will be political crimes — caused by decisions made today under pressure from financiers.”

He said CEJ was already preparing legal and public campaigns to challenge the changes.

“We will expose the networks behind these decisions. We will not allow Sri Lanka’s environment to be traded for political loyalty.”

Civil society organisations, environmental lawyers and grassroots communities are mobilising for a nationwide protest and legal response. Several cases are expected to be filed in the coming weeks.

“This is only the beginning,” Withanage said firmly. “The fight to protect Sri Lanka’s environment is now a fight against political capture itself.”

By Ifham Nizam

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Landslide Early Warnings issued to the districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya extended

Published

11 hours ago

2026/02/14

Priyan

The landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya by the Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation have been extended till 0600 hrs on 15th February 2026.

Accordingly,
The Level II [AMBER] warnings issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Walapane and Nildandahinna in the Nuwar Eliya district and the
Level I [YELLOW] warning issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pathadumbara in the Kandy district have been extended.

Latest News

Advisory for Severe Lightning issued to the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces and Badulla and Nuwara-Eliya districts

Published

12 hours ago

2026/02/14

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 11.30 a.m. 14 February 2026 valid for the period until 11.30 p.m. 14 February 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces and in Badulla and Nuwara-Eliya districts after 1.00 p.m. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.

The General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:

The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
 Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
 Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
 Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
 For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

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Teacher recruitment examinations will be conducted in accordance with the relevant court decisions – PM

Published

22 hours ago

2026/02/14

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the forthcoming two teacher recruitment examinations will be conducted in accordance with the relevant court decisions pertaining to the ongoing legal proceedings and further noted that, taking into consideration the requests received, steps have been taken to make a request to Court’s approval to revise the conditions of the effective date of degree completion.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing a meeting held at Monaragala Royal College to brief education authorities of the Monaragala District on the new education reforms.

Under the new education reforms, Smart Boards will be provided to 132 schools in the Monaragala District as part of the program to equip secondary schools with modern technology. As a symbolic step under this initiative, Smart Boards were presented to 10 secondary schools under the Prime Minister’s patronage. This program is being implemented with the intervention of the Digital Task Force operating under the Prime Minister’s Office. It was also emphasized that a new digital policy, formulated with special attention to child protection, will be introduced in April.

As part of her visit to the Monaragala District on the 13 th of February, the Prime Minister observed the implementation of the new learning methodologies introduced for Grade One under the new education reforms. She visited Kumbukkana Sri Shanmugam Tamil Maha Vidyalaya and Maduruketiya Maha Vidyalaya in Monaragala to observe the educational activities of Grade One students.

Considering the increase of student numbers and the development of infrastructure facilities, the Prime Minister also approved a proposal submitted by the School Development Society to rename Maduruketiya Maha Vidyalaya as Monaragala Dharmaraja Maha Vidyalaya.

Teachers briefed the Prime Minister that the new education system, supported by revised workbooks and activity-based learning methods, has proven to be effective, with students participating enthusiastically.

Addressing education officials further at the meeting held at Monaragala Royal College, the Prime Minister stated:

“Although this will not provide a complete solution to the existing teacher vacancies, these examinations can offer considerable relief. According to the Court’s previous determination, the effective date of degree completion had been set as 30.06.2025. However, considering numerous requests and following the cabinet approval we have sought Court’s consent to revise this date. We will act in accordance with the decision granted.

Funds allocated for school infrastructure must be utilized transparently and in line with proper planning, and progress must be reported accordingly. We cannot move forward by dividing ourselves along national, provincial, rural, or urban lines. As education authorities, you must make swift and accurate decisions based on correct data.

Further, discussions are already underway within the Piriven Committee of the Ministry of Education to develop Piriven education and to address the issues faced by Piriven teachers.”

The event was attended by the members of the Maha Sangha, Uva Province Governor Attorney-at-Law Kapila Jayasekara, Deputy Minister of Trade and Commerce R.M. Jayawardhana, Member of Parliament Ajith Agalakada, Uva Provincial Education Secretary Nihal Gunarathne, and several officials from the education sector.