Mawanella rail track disaster warning from logging
A disaster on the upcountry railway line between Makehelwala and Maliyadda in Mawanella is imminent, residents have warned.
They say the situation has been aggravated by “mass destruction” to the environment above the railway track.
A businessman allegedly using a false property deed was felling trees on the slopes above the track, local politician Amara Sooriapperuma charged at the recent meeting of the Mawanella Divisional Secretariat Co-ordination Committee.
“About 60 acres of land have been cleared of trees,” Mr. Sooriapperuma said. Up to four years ago, water coming off the slopes had trickled smoothly and safely over the railway lines at Maliyadda, railway authorities had told him
“Now this water goes deep down at 1,200 feet,” Mr. Sooriapperuma said. “Not only that. Other notable changes can be seen. Even the trees are leaning at an angle towards the slope.
“With this man’s destructive plans more than 4,000 families will perish if a landslide takes place at the Alagalla Reservation. This has to be resolved now.”
Mr. Sooriapperuma warned that rains were due, which would make the waterlogged slopes more unstable.
The President of the Co-ordination Committee and Development Affairs Minister, Kabir Hashim, said he had called for immediate action. “At our meeting, the main issue was that in the recent past many people have breached environmental laws,” he said. “In particular, one individual is destroying the environment in the Alagalla Reservation. This has affected the up-country railways. I at once gave instructions to the police and the Environmental Protection Authority to take immediate action.
“When we visited these places we could see everything that supports [Mr. Sooriapperuma’s story]. A labourer was stationed there for 24 hours to see the slowed-down passage of the train, and the villagers said the water streams and brooks that flowed down once over the railway tracks are no more now. Clear evidence is seen in the barren paddy fields around.”