News
Senior academics and conservationists express fears over Pidurutalagala slopes
A group of top level academics and environmentalists have written to President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressing grave concern about the degradation of the Mahakudugala Conservation Forest located in the uppermost on the slopes of Pidurutalagala, the country’s highest mountain.
“The numerous waterways that begin on its steep sides provide water, all year round, to the communities that inhabit the eastern escarpment of the Central Highlands, and to the rich biodiversity its forests host, high in endemism,” they have said in an open letter.
The text of their letter: “You have openly expressed your commitment to the protection of the watersheds of Sri Lanka,recognizing their vital importance for slowing, cleaning, filtering and storing water by allowing it to absorb into the ground. This process improves water quality, reduces risk of flooding, reduces risk for invasive species to establish and increases resilience within a changing climate; all vital for the future health and prosperity of this Nation.
“Your Excellency has also expressed your belief and intent in honouring Sri Lanka’s legally binding commitment to the three Rio Conventions, with the ultimate and essential intent of addressing climate change. With these noble intents, it may be horrifying for you to learn that both of the above ideals are being compromised on the slopes of this country’s highest mountain; Pidurutalagala. The numerous waterways that begin on its steep sides provide water, all year round, to the communities that inhabit the eastern escarpment of the Central Highlands, and to the rich biodiversity its forests host, high in endemism.
“And why is this survival disaster, for humans and nature, playing out? For growing apples!
The Proposed Apple Farm
“The proposed Apple Farm is situated in the Maha Kudugala GN Division of the Pidurutalagala Conservation Forest located entirely within the uppermost watershed, mainly of the Kurundu Oya, at an elevation range of 1500 m – 2100 m (over 5000 ft.) The land area of the Farm is 126 ha consisting of three blocks each of 89 ha, 12 ha, and 5 ha respectively. It has, however, never been used for the growing of apples, but for other agricultural purposes. Any clearing of these lands, for whatever purpose, has detrimental consequences to the ecological balance of this region, and the services it gives to the local communities downstream of it.
“In terms of hydrological importance, the Pedro Reserve was ranked Number Three (No. 3), just behind the Peak Wilderness and the Knuckles Range, of all the natural forests in Sri Lanka surveyed during the National Conservation Review (NCR 1996) conducted by the IUCN-The World Conservation Union with funding from the FAO. The main reason for gaining such a high rank is the contribution of fog interception by the natural forests to feed the streams originating from them, thus ensuring year-round water security. According to the IUCN-sponsored NCR (1996), the total fog contribution foregone by converting forest into agricultural land use is about 860,000 cubic meters per annum.
“This is why this land is so important and as a body of concerned Conservation / Environmental Groups, Scientists and Researchers, we plead with you to use your high office to prevent the destruction of a vital mountain forest, and upper watershed, for growing apples. Our deep concerns, and reasons for addressing you directly like this, are summarized in the attached paper, for study by your science advisors. We have also made suggestions for possible strategies that will not only help preserve this fragile, yet vital, forest for posterity, but also greater gain to the human communities that depend not only on this mountain forest, but others like it.
“We thank you for your time, and sincerely hope that you will not let this vital piece of Sri Lanka be exploited and destroyed, for the short-term profit of just a few.”
The signatories are: Prof. Nimal Gunatilleke, Prof. Siril Wijesundara, Mr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, Prof. Sevvandi Jayakody, Prof. Enoka Kudavidanage, Prof. Sampath Seneviratne, Dr. Sandun J. Perera, Dr. Suranjan Fernando, Mr. Hemantha Withanage, Centre for Environmental Justice and Mr. Jehan Canagaretna, Wildlife and Nature Protection Society
President Anura Kumara Disanayake expressed confidence in the substantial opportunities for innovation in our country, stating that Sri Lanka aims to pave a new path in digitalization by the year 2030.
He said that the government’s aspiration is to elevate Sri Lanka, currently not a competitor in the field of innovation, to a comparable status with other countries, emphasizing that digitalization will play a crucial role in achieving this objective.
The President highlighted the necessity of implementing significant transformations within the innovation sector to meet these goals.
These remarks were made by President Disanayake at the Innovation Island Summit – 2025, held on Thursday (20) at the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel in Colombo.
The President stated that hosting the Innovation Island Summit – 2025 in Sri Lanka signifies the growing interest and aspirations of new entrepreneurship in the country regarding innovation. He further said that that various stages of human civilization have been identified, with each new chapter being shaped by innovation.
He underscored the importance of innovation in advancing human civilization to new stages, stating that while people’s needs remain constant and the means of fulfilling those needs have changed.
The President explained that innovation drives the creation of new markets by addressing emerging needs, and that new markets emerge only when the method of fulfilling needs changes. He also noted that countries that have achieved success globally have done so by recognizing and capitalizing on these changes, with neighbouring India serving as a prime example.
President Disanayake also mentioned that the current budget prioritizes innovation and emphasized the importance of utilizing new discoveries for commercialization.
The President projected export revenue of USD 19 billion for this year, emphasizing the need for a significant transformation in the innovation sector to realize this revenue target.
He stated that creating an environment for the benefits of innovation to reach the entire population is a government responsibility, reiterating that the government’s numerous goals are intertwined with innovation.
The President also highlighted the challenges Sri Lanka faces in the global economic competition, along with the necessity for digitalization and innovation. He invited international partners and investors to come to Sri Lanka and requested that new investments be directed towards the country.
He further mentioned that a positive environment for innovation and business has already been established in the country and that we possess a skilled workforce to support this initiative
By Saman Indrajith
From June this year, mobile phone users in Sri Lanka will be able to retain their existing numbers even after switching mobile network operators, according to officials from the Ministry of Digital Economy.
The announcement was made during a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Digital Economic Affairs held on Thursday (20).
In a statement issued on Friday, the Parliament’s Communication Division confirmed that the Ministry of Digital Economy is also constructing 50 new mobile signal towers in areas with poor network coverage to enhance connectivity.
The meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, also addressed several key digital policy issues. The discussion included cryptocurrency regulation, with the President stating that a final decision on its legality in Sri Lanka would be based on recommendations from the Governor of the Central Bank.
Other topics covered during the meeting included measures to safeguard citizens’ personal data, strategies for managing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and discussions regarding the salaries of IT engineers.
Meanwhile, the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Digital Economic Affairs is set to hold a workshop on 10 March 2025 to brief all Members of Parliament on upcoming government programmes related to the digital economy.
By Saman Indrajith
Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne informed Parliament on Friday that security-related requests made by Members of Parliament have been referred to the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) for appropriate action.
In a special statement, the Speaker noted that several MPs had approached him seeking enhanced security measures. He stated that the requests, which had been submitted periodically, have now been forwarded to the Acting IGP for necessary consideration.
Additionally, the Speaker announced that he has tabled the report from the Special Committee appointed to investigate complaints regarding the conduct of Jaffna District MP Dr Ramanathan Archchuna.
The Committee, chaired by the Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Hemali Weerasekara, also included Vijitha Herath and R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara.
The report will now be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for further deliberation.
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