A conservation alarm has been raised as allegations surface that protected forest land within a critical elephant corridor in Monaragala is being earmarked for agribusiness interests, threatening wildlife, villagers, and the rule of law.
A press release issued by Mr. Sajeewa Chamikara of the Land and Agriculture Reform Movement is presented below.
Sajeewa Chamikara
Land and Agriculture Reform Movement
Chathuri Gangani, the Monaragala District Parliamentarian of the National People’s Power Party, is preparing to distribute 250 acres of forest land in the Kadawara Lake area, belonging to the Wellawaya Divisional Secretariat Division in the Monaragala District, among several agribusinessmen. While participating in an observation tour with government officials to declare the Demaliya-Wandama Elephant Pass, through which elephants migrate from the Lunugamvehera National Park to the Handapanagala Lake reserve, she has instructed officials to take steps to immediately distribute all these lands.
It is deeply regrettable that the MP is preparing to implement the same land grabbing practices carried out by politicians in the area during the previous government by distributing government forest lands around Kadawara Lake, which is connected to the Demaliya-Wandama Elephant Pass. The fact that a current government MP is preparing to distribute government forest land among a few smugglers, thereby creating a massive human-elephant conflict, just as former Member of Parliament, former Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries, and former Chairman of the Monaragala District Coordinating Committee Jagath Pushpakumara did, demonstrates that the entire political machinery is being manipulated by a handful of smugglers.
Approximately 120 elephants live in this forest area. The distribution of these lands and the resulting loss of habitat will lead to increased elephant movement into villages and farmlands in Blocks 16 and 14, including the Telulla, Ethilwewa, Kitulkote, Ulkanda, Handapanagala and Pelwatte Colonies, creating a severe human-elephant conflict.
The Demaliya-Wandama-Kuda Oya State Forest, which covers an area of 2,694 hectares, is bordered by Kadawara Wewa, Paralu Wewa, Demaliya Wewa, Hurathgamuwa Wewa and Guneris Wewa. This forest area functions as the catchment area for these tanks as well as the Kirindi Oya. In addition, it has been proposed to declare this forest area as the Demaliya-Wandama Wild Elephant Management Reserve under the Uma Oya Multipurpose Project.
Violation of the Forest Conservation Ordinance
The Demaliya-Wandama-Kuda Oya State Forest has been designated as the Demaliya-Kuda Oya Proposed Reserve and is managed as a State Forest in accordance with Section 20(1) of the Forest Conservation Ordinance, as last amended by Act No. 65 of 2009. Under this section, it is an offence to cut down trees, cultivate land, erect temporary or permanent buildings, reside in such forests, or prepare and use roads. A person found guilty of such an offence by a court of law may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of up to two years, or fined between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 50,000, or both. In addition, courts may impose further fines for damage caused to the State Forest.
As stated in Section 20(2) of the Ordinance, aiding and abetting illegal acts within a State Forest is also an offence, and offenders are subject to the same penalties.
By ordering the destruction of the forest ecosystem around Kadawara Tank, which forms part of the Demaliya-Wandama-Kuda Oya State Forest governed under these legal provisions, Member of Parliament Chathuri Gangani has aided and abetted an illegal act.
Depriving a Rich Country of a Beautiful Life
The Sustainable Biodiversity – Evergreen Life section of the “Rich Country, Beautiful Life” policy statement, agreed upon with the public prior to the current government coming to power, sets out principles including environmental justice, equity, ecosystem-based approaches, environmental good governance and environmental protection. It also highlights commitments such as declaring sensitive ecological zones and ensuring environmental safety. The policy further states that comprehensive studies of elephant populations, migration patterns and habitats will be conducted to mitigate human-elephant conflict, alongside public participation programmes using biological and modern technological methods.
In clear violation of these commitments, Member of Parliament Chathuri Gangani is preparing to place not only elephants but also local residents in serious danger. It remains questionable whether the MP understands the interests behind the acquisition of government lands and the large-scale cultivation activities being pursued.
As a group that studies human-elephant conflict and land grabbing in this area and actively pressures authorities to control these issues, we emphasise that immediate steps must be taken to address the escalating human-elephant conflict by formally declaring the Demaliya-Wandama-Kuda Oya State Forest as an elephant management reserve and protecting Kadawara Tank and the entire associated forest ecosystem.
