By Ifham Nizam

The Centre for Environmental Justice is expected to hold a discussion with the Central Environmental Authority to register its protest against a controversial mini hydro project.

CEJ Senior Advisor Hematha Withanage told The Island that hundreds of protesters including villagers and environmentalists were urging government agencies to stop a small hydro power project near the Athwelthota Pilithuda Falls.

Environmentalists, Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Sagara Thera, Hemantha Withanage, Nayanaka Ranwella Sajeeva Chamikara and Dilena Pathragoda said they would resort to legal action against the project.

Withanage said the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) had asked the people to evacuate due to the region’s eco sensitivity but endorsed the construction of a mini-hydro project.

He said Renewable Energy Minister Duminda Dissanayake had ordered the acceleration of work on 19 proposed hydro power plants which were suspended previously due to public protests.

Peelithuda Falls is on a tributary of the Sinharaja Ecosystem near the Palan River at Athwelthota, Morapitiya in the Palindanuwara Divisional Secretariat.

The Palindanuwara Pradeshiya Sabha has unanimously agreed not to allow this project. The Palindanuwara Divisional Secretariat has also informed the relevant agencies that the people are against the project.

Naturalist Nayanaka Ranwella said that the area was home to 15 endangered fish species and 18 endemic fish species. In addition, there are specialised aquatic plants in the ecosystem, and many species of reptiles and frogs live along the river banks, he added.

Since 2007, Sakura Energy (Pvt) Ltd has been constructing a 1.5 MW small hydroelectric power plant across the falls. If such a power plant was built in the vicinity of this waterfall, the aforesaid ecosystem would be destroyed, environmental activists warned.

More than 1.5 metres of the embankment will be built over the waterfall and about 900 meters of the river will be drained. As a result, tourists as well as the people in the villages around Morapitiya, will lose both bathing places during the dry season. Many trees in the forest along the river will also be destroyed, Withanage said, adding that the area.

In 2014, the IEE prepared a preliminary environmental research report on this waterfall, obtained the approval letters from the relevant institutions and made arrangements to build a power plant across the Peelithuda Falls. The people of Morapitiya and Athwelthota strongly protested against it and the Centre for Environmental Justice took legal action. The case was dismissed based on the law of prescription and it could not be misconstrued as judicial approval for the project, Withanage said.

The National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) has prepared a research report on the endemic fish that live there. There has been no activity or construction associated with this waterfall since then. Despite this situation, in 2017, nine lives and physical property were destroyed due to landslides in the area around this waterfall. Extreme levels of flood danger were announced in at least two kilometres radius on both sides of the falls. Several families have already been evacuated from high-risk areas.

According to the landslide map released by the NBRO, there are several landslides in the region, one of which is above the proposed powerhouse. A few more are still in the lead above the Athwelthota Gangarama Temple.

It is illegal to request permission to carry out the project based on the initial environmental report, six years after it was prepared. According to the Environmental Assessment Act in the National Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980, the report is generally required to be executed within three years of its preparation. Otherwise, it will be invalid. Any other permit or validity issued for this purpose has already expired. In such a case, an environmental report and institutional approvals are required for this project. Despite repeated attempts, Sakura Senior Management was not available for comment.