Posts

Stop Coal Power Plant

March 12, 2019/in Puttalam /by cleannationpx

The Lakwijaya coal power plant in Norochcholai, ever since its inception has been a threat to the environment and the well-being of the local community .The smoke emitted by the power plant contains harmful chemicals; hence contribute to the pollution of air. The dust that is blown off the coal and fly ash that is openly stored accumulates on the surrounding crop lands and houses. Even the people breathe air that is contaminated with these heavy metals, particulate matter etc. The water that is extracted from the sea and released back with a higher temperature affects marine life of the area, damaging marine ecosystems. If the stipulated mitigation methods are adhered to, most of these impacts could have been minimized to a certain extent.

Save Thalangama Tank

April 15, 2018/in Colombo /by cleannationpx

Unlawful Construction at Thanagama Wetland Tank

The Thalangama (Talangama) tank had its original spillway (steel gate/weir) at its northern end which drains direction Parliament lake, and received a new larger spillway on the right (eastern) side with a link canal to the Averihena tank and eventually Kelani river. The purpose of this new spillway and link canal is to convey the surplus water from the Thalangama tank via the Averihena tank into the Madiwela East Diversion canal to reduce the flooding risks in the vicinity of the parliament. The Madiwela East Diversion canal starts at the tail end of the Avarihena lake and runs towards Athurugiriya Road and as from there as concrete canal up to river. The main purpose of the recent dredging and construction activities in the lake area served the rehabilitation of the existing irrigation and drainage system. An overview map showing the rehabilitation work components is presented on this page and an article by the Sunday Times with a drainage map of Colombo, showing the link between the Thalangama Lake and the Parliament is here.

Intended Work Items Under Improvements to Madiwela East Division – Part 1 Click to zoom

Because of siltation and encroachment the original capacity of the Thalangama tank, which was 50-60 Ac.ft. (61,000-74,000m³) has decreased to 32 Ac.ft. (39,000 m³) causing a water deficit for the farmers, and limiting the area’s flood retention capacity. Although there exists different opinions about the exact numbers, the need for lake desilting and removal of excess vegetation (especially parts of the invasive Wel Atha trees) to increase the water storage and irrigation capacity of the lake was of mutual agreement by all stakeholders, considering however, that the environmental protection status of the area demanded a careful and balanced approach.

After the stop of the dredging at the end of 2017, the construction work continued along the Averihena tank. Local residents at Lake Road wonder how far the dredging has affected local biodiversity. An obvious impact has been the release of plant nutrients from the moved and removed sediments and trees into the water, resulting in a rapid spread of nutrient-loving water hyacinths on the central part of the lake. This has been supported by the dropping from large bird colonies resting overnight on the Wel Atha tree islands of the lake.

The dredging in 2017 reclaimed a significant lake area which was overgrown with trees while preserving a part of them to maintain local biodiversity and night resting places for birds.

Celebrating the end of the work and rebuilt road along the lake after the trucks and caterpillars left in April 2018. For More: http://www.wetlandwatch.lk/

Save Wilpattu

March 12, 2016/in Puttalam /by cleannationpx

The Wild Life and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) said in a statement yesterday that it “was instrumental in the establishment of the Wilpattu National Park and, until the setting up of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) was directly involved in its administration too. The ‘Watchers’ as the original Game Guards were referred to, were paid and their duties supervised by the Society. As such, the Society has a deep and abiding interest in the welfare of this premier natural heritage and will do its utmost to preserve its integrity both geographically with reference to its boundaries, and as a sanctuary for wildlife.”

With this in mind, the General Committee of the WNPS has called on all of its members and well-wishers to join them in expressing protest against the illegal encroachments that are taking place within the National Park, and in the protected areas immediately surrounding it. There are several such destructive developments going on and the WNPS strongly oppose them irrespective of the ethnicity, religion or political persuasion of the perpetrators of these crimes against the State, and the present and future generations of Sri Lankans, it said.

The statement said the purpose of the rally is not only to draw attention to the illegal destruction of this National, natural treasure, the Wilpattu National Park, but also to urge the Government to take positive action to stop its further degradation, and to restore the Park and protected areas back to their original boundaries.

“It is hoped that not just the membership of WNPS but all nature lovers will answer this call to save Wilpattu, intact, for the future. The forests of Sri Lanka were conserved and gifted to us by our ancestors as they realized how important their existence was to our health and well-being. Should we not preserve them for our children too?,” it asked.

For More Details: https://www.facebook.com/protectvilpattu | 0763727393 |

Clean Puttalam

April 20, 2015/in Puttalam /by cleannationpx

Why is Puttalam treated differently? This is the fairly reasonable question every inhabitant of the Puttalam constituency, one of the six in the North-Western Electoral district, has on their mind. Answers to this simple question, however, that are coming from the President, the Prime minister, the Minister for Western Development and Mega Polis and the leaders of the so-called Muslim (Halal) parties (SLMC and ACMC) despite their apparent Haraam activities, appalling.

Puttalam area has been engulfed by man made ecologically dangerous, environmentally disasters, ethically wrong and legally challengeable projects, a cement factory in the south of the extended town, a coal power plant in the west, which was once considered as the fertile – cash crop area of the region. In the north there is the intended garbage dump or the sugar coated expression of sanitary solid waste management project. The chosen site, is very close to residential areas, lagoon fishing, fresh water prawn rearing, saltern, coconut estates and wildlife sanctuary, leaving only the West side for any more nasty projects, in the future which would be agitated by any prudent citizen of the country.

There is no point in revisiting the false promises given to the people of the area for their concerns, when the cement factory was built at pallavi in the midst of cocoanut plantation and the coal power plant was built at, Nurochchoolai, which was a promising cash crop belt, however, however, the Garbage dumping project of Arruwakkadu/Serakkuli attracts severe criticism as several EIA ( Environmental Impact Assessment ) reports confirm that the chosen site is not suitable at all.

This project was initiated by the Rajapaksa government and it was then given up at the request of former deputy minister of livestock and incumbent  Chairman of Puttalam UC, Mr. Baiz. So what? The project is being resumed and it will start its activity on 15th March 2019, the Mega Polis Minister Cambika Ranawaka has confirmed. The same Minister was  behind the scene   in building the notorious coal power plant at Nurochcholai, exposing the population, namely, young children and pregnant women to multiple medical conditions and mysterious  symptoms of yet to be pathologically confirmed new diseases. Still, it seems that the Minister is not satisfied. For him it is about winning next parliamentary seat or about his fantasy for contesting in the next Presidential Election for which he wants a carbonless, e-waste free and odourless  clean Colombo. At the expense  of our very right to simply have a clean Puttalam.

The garbage issue was brought to the attention of the President in recent days and he had the following to say: “We cannot dump our garbage at sea, enabling the international community to make a big hoo-hah out of it”. Granted, but the Garbage I create at home cannot not be thrown at my neighbour’s house. And it seems that the environmentally friendly President does not care the local communities, who elected him as president, and their hoo-hah against this unwise and unwelcome project.

Minister Ranawaka quoted “people who oppose the Puttalam garbage project are selfish and disrespect the lives lost at the collapse of the “Meetotamulla garbage” mountain in the capital. You are totally wrong Minister. We are not bemused by the disaster caused by mismanagement by the municipality and or Ministry of Mega Polis nor any management at all, but we try our best to stop you from causing 240, 000 slow deaths and more in perpetuity and turning the already dry zone into a death zone. Are you not remorseful in anticipation for the lives yet to be lost, before it is too late for you to share grief with us as you expect from us towards the victims of the “Meetottamulla”

The Minister further said “it is the local politicians and clergies (Buddhists, Muslims, Saivas and Christians), who try to stop this national project.” The local politicians, who like you to serve your constituency, are mandated by the local people to seek right solutions for their grievances and the clergies are the ones, who live with these issues and thoroughly understand the peoples’ concerns. Don’t you like them carrying out their duty, which is expected by their people?

There are laws in place to deal with these things. A piece of legislation, our Municipal Council and Urban Council Ordinance stop you passing the bug to another local government jurisdiction. But you do regardless, this is an outright violation of law. Also the very constitution, that you fought for and were prepared to die for, including any blatant breaches by the former President and his acolytes during the 52 days political drama in 2018, which made entire world laugh at us. And you were steadfast for upholding an unequivocally enshrined constitutional arrangement. As such it is our constitutionally confirmed fundamental right to have an unpolluted environment for the current and future generations, pure water, clean air and most importantly the inalienable right not to be treated differently or less favourably than others. Now tell us Minister why the people of Puttalam should be treated less favourably than any other part of the country.

The Earth Summit in 2000 in Rio passed a resolution adopting the “Polluter Pays” Principle of which Sri Lanka is one of the signatories. It is not the people of Puttalam area, but people of the capital, its business entities, hospitals, government departments that should bear the unpleasant consequence of their behaviours in creating uncontrollable garbage in Colombo under polluter pays principle.

Clean Puttalam

I expected the Minister to come up with plausible arguments for his resolved position of sending garbage created in Colombo to other places. Unfortunately his reasons for that were that: there are no suitable places in Colombo or around the capital. Even it were accepted for the sake an argument, then why Puttalam, why not Pollanaruwa, Hambanthotta or Kilinochchi or even Nuwarallia? The Minister’s answer in replication was that there are utilised and then abandoned limestone quarries only in Puttalam. Is it? We can take the Minister on a tour up and down the country to other quarries for him to make a proper choice.

It is a mystery that the Minister is not aware of the deforested limestone quarries are to be filled back (certainly not with garbage) and reforested according to the agreement signed between other government authorities and the cement corporation, a government entity at the beginning, which then became a private one known as Holcim , and now operating as Insee.

The President, the Prime minister, Minister Cambika Ranawaka, leaders of minority parties, local NGOs, who were busy making big headlines and hot topics for their concerns for the wildlife sanctuary at “Willpattu”, but have no iota of empathy and sympathy to the same Willpattu wildlife, inhabitants of the area, flora and fauna of the region.

The Government, its Ministers do not mind the factual importance of the issue, breaking the law of the country, existing agreements, not adhering the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people, and international convention etc.

The people of Puttalam may be naïve, but not “Buruwas”(donkeys ). They are not rebellious, but are completely innocent lot, believing that there will be the 11th hour God’s intervention to stop this disgusting garbage project. But it cannot be a good reasons for the Minister to suppress our fundamental right. So the big question now is will it be the countdown for the Minister to go against the will of our people on 15th March 2019 or is it the God’s intervention making us to initiate court proceedings to establish the people’s right?

We are continuously supporting them since Clean Nation concept also came out of Clean Puttalam : For More info : facebook.com/CleanPuttalam