Threat to the Sripada Sanctuary

Colombo Gazette

A mini-hydro project being allegedly constructed illegally inside the protected Sripada Sanctuary is currently causing severe environmental destruction to this World Heritage Site, an environmental protection group said.

Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka said that the construction is being carried out 2 km inside the reserve, blocking two of the seven waterfalls of Eli Hatha (ඇලි හත). The mini hydro power plant is being built at the UNESCO World Heritage site violating many environmental regulations.

Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka said that a dam is being built at the waterfall number 2 and the water will be diverted to a turbine. If this project is allowed to go ahead, two of the waterfalls will completely go dry.

“It is shocking to see this happening in a protected nature sanctuary and a UNESCO World Heritage site and certain authorities with powers vested to protect the sanctuary during previous administration being involved in the destruction,” Rainforest Protectors of Sri Lanka said.

In addition to building dams within a protected sanctuary, large endemic trees have been felled down to clear pathway for pipelines. This is a complete violation of the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance 1937 (amended 2009) and Forest Ordinance 1908 (amended 1995). Amounting to 12,979 hectares, the Samanala Adaviya was declared as a nature reserve by a gazette notification in September 7, 2007 and is protected by the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO). Section 3 and 6 of the ordinance strictly forbid any development activity in a nature reserve such as construction of permanent or temporary structures, deforestation, removal of plants, destroy fauna and flora or construction of roads.

Samanala Adaviya Nature Reserve (SANR) is one of the five nature reserves in the country and is the richest in bio-diversity with the highest number of endemic species. Because of its exceptional importance, UNESCO declared SANR and the central hills in the country as a natural world heritage site in 2010.