Displeasure over move to set up tourism zone in Muthurajawala

The land is being currently filled in the guise of disposing solid waste

Colombo’s Archbishop His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith together with Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Thera yesterday expressed their displeasure over the alleged move to set up a tourism zone in the Muthurajawala Park which is said to comprise a golf court and crocodile park.

Cardinal Ranjith told a news conference that a private company had fraudulently taken over the park which is situated in a conserved land and put up sign boards that it is a private land. He also said almost 700 acres had been filled already.“I request the people in the area to go and remove the signboards. The land belonged to Department of Forestry earlier. The signboard of the department has been removed,” he said.

Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Thera said the project had actually begun two years ago.“the land is being currently filled in the guise of disposing solid waste. Solid waste from the Colombo Municipal Council is also being dumped in this land,” the Thera said.

It was revealed that there are 78 species of fish, 14 species of reptiles and 83 bird species in the Muthurajawala wetlands.

They will be destroyed if the project goes ahead. It was highlighted that the filling of the wetland would have a negative effect on the Dandugam oya which is connected to the Negombo lagoon. “Wetland is actually a breeding ground for fish which end up in the Negombo lagoon. Accordingly those who are engaged in fishing in the lagoon will also lose their livelihood,” the Cardinal

and the Thera said.