Dawn to dusk hartal at Bandarawela
Uma Oya tunnel is leaking
The Bandarawela town came to a standstill yesterday because of a dawn-to-dusk hartal campaign to urge the authorities to repair a leak in the tunnel connected to the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project.
The US$529 million project which was constructed in 2009 conveys water to the Handapanagala and Lunugamwehera Reservoirs and thereafter redistributed for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes.
More than 30,000 people led by religious leaders and local government members took part in the protest. Shops and market places and sales outlets were closed as part of the protest campaign. Protesters said the leaking water threatened the safety of the entire area posing social, economical, ecological and geological issues.
Residents of Amunudowa, Kabillawela North, Wewatanna, Maduwalpathana, Watagamuwa and other surrounding villages gathered at the roundabout to display their opposition to the manner in which the project was being handled. Attendance at schools had also dropped because of the protest.
According to media reports 80 million litres of water had been leaking daily for the past two weeks. More than 4,000 householders said there were cracks on the walls with some parts caving.
The project launched in 2009 was halted on several occasions because of a growing number of complaints about houses being damaged and wells and springs drying up.
Villagers and environmentalists claimed that due to the short-sighted decisions by politicians Bandarawela was on the verge of an impending disaster. Police said vehicular traffic was obstructed by the protesters. Meanwhile, the Cabinet has appointed a three-member subcommittee to carry out an investigation on this matter. The Committee comprising Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera, Champika Ranawaka and Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa are expected to meet all stakeholders before submitting a report.