Responding to a query raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation C.B. Ratnayake said that the latter had been known as a person hunting for treasure since the time his father Ranasinghe Premadasa was the prime minister of the country. “It is natural that politicians are referred to with various names and accused of various things, but it is prudent to inspect the truth for ourselves which is most appropriate,” the Minister said.
He noted that there were numerous reports including those circulated on social media that the extent of land under destruction in Anavilundawa. “According to some the extent was two acres, some others said 200 acres. It is prudent that we visit the site and see for ourselves to know the truth,” the Minister said.
He said Ananvilundawa has been declared as a sanctuary by a gazette under the Wildlife and Forest Conservation Act and is also declared a Ramsar wetland in the Western dry zone of the country. “An extent of around 1.65 acres of the area had been bulldozed on Aug 26, 2020. Legal actions instituted by the wildlife officials and police are in progress. The matter had been reported to the Chilaw Magistrate Court. It is wrong to state that the area had been bulldozed for two days. I received a report by a five member committee which probed this incident on Tuesday. I table the report in parliament yesterday. The government has taken every possible action to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.”
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa earlier in the day raising a point of order demanded to know from the government what action had been taken so far against the destruction of Anavilundawa Ramsar wetland. Around two acres of land coming under the area declared as a forest reserve at Anavilundawa in Arachchikattuwa, Puttalam have been cleared using a dozer. As per the environmentalists, the area is extremely important in ecological terms as it houses and nurtures many species of migrating birds and rare fish and butterflies. The wetland has been declared a Ramsar reserve in 2001, the opposition leader said.
