Outrage over plan to plant a golf resort in treasured Muthurajawela
Minister mystified as wildlife signs torn down and ‘private’ boards go up
Moves to build a luxury hotel and golf course in the rich eco-system of the Muthurajawela Wetlands, a critical flood retention area, are under the spotlight with officials professing bewilderment at the discovery.
Senior religious leaders this week publicly condemned the resort plan, with one saying he had been threatened over his stance.
Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told The Sunday Times on Friday, so far only an Environment Impact Assessment has been requested for a proposed hotel and golf course but that no permission had been given for the project.
Despite this, signboards stating that Muthurajawela land belongs to the Wildlife Conservation Department have been pulled down and replaced with others claiming the land belongs to a private firm for the proposed project.
“We are not sure how the boards have come up. To our knowledge, the lands come under the purview of the wildlife department,” Minister Amaraweera said.
He recently visited the area to investigate allegations of illegal encroachment, saying complaints of illegal land filling and encroachment in the area prompted his visit.
“We have not given approval for any project so far,” Mr. Amaraweera insisted.
He said he was aware of a proposal in 2016 to put up a
hotel, adding that after objections were raised a sum of Rs. 35 million had been refunded to the company involved.
Ajith Panditharatna, the Chairman of Melwatta Properties (Pvt.) Ltd, which is behind the hotel and golf course project, told The Sunday Times he had ownership of 700 acres in Muthurajawela and had now applied for an Environmental Impact Assessment to proceed with the project.
Gampaha District Secretary Sunil Jayalath told The Sunday Times the Government has been asked to survey all land in the area to determine ownership and prevent encroachment.
He said most of the territory belongs to the wildlife department while the Forest Conservation Department and the Agrarian Service owned other tracts.
“If this proposed hotel project comes through, we will not be able to stop floods in the area,” he pointed out. Any resort would threaten the bird sanctuary and fauna and flora.
This week, the Catholic prelate, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, and prominent environmental activist and monk Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Thera held a joint press conference to raise concern about the resort project and the creeping destruction of the Muthurajawela sanctuary.
Cardinal Ranjith said that in 2006 the then environment minister, Maithripala Sirisena, without any scientific basis, had issued a gazette notification enabling the use of Muthurajawela lands for economic development.
Referring to current developments, he said he was not sure how the apparent land grab had taken place and how boards had come up stating that a private company owned the land.
Cardinal Ranjith said such a project would spell disaster for those living in the area as the land would become vulnerable to flooding and the natural environment would be destroyed.
The cardinal called on the public to be cautious of the proposed project and for the government to look into the issue immediately.
Ven. Ananda Thera told The Sunday Times plainly: “With the blessing of the government a private businessman is trying to cause damage to national heritage by trying to give approval for the project. Future generations will not pardon the persons responsible for the project.”
He said dumping of garbage from local council areas in Kelaniya, Gampaha, Seeduwa and Colombo was connected with the project as the rubbish was being used as landfill, which was unlawful.
Ven. Ananda Thera disputed claims by the company that it owned the lands and had legal title deeds.
“Even last year, when I visited the area, thugs threatened me at gunpoint and they crashed into my vehicle when I was returning”, he added.
He alleged certain villagers are being paid to spy for the businessman.
On Friday, a Sunday Times photographer taking photos of the site was followed by a three-wheeler driver, and his photographs were seized.
Mr. Panditharatna said he was confident his project would be backed by the 16 state institutions – such as the Urban Development Authority, Divisional Secretary, Central Environmental Authority and the departments of irrigation, forests, agriculture and wildlife – that need to grant approval.
“We are confident that we will get approval for the project and thereafter we will commence the project,” he said.
He said besides the hotel and golf course his company would also set up a botanical garden and water retention area, and said employment generation was another objective.
The planned golf resort is not the only concern of the villages in the area. They pointed out dozens of other areas which have been illegally packed with landfill by unknown persons.
The lack of government attention to the Muthurajawela areas over the years has resulted in significant destruction of the area.
The Muthurajawela marshes cover 6,000 ha and include a variety of mangroves and other types of flora including medicinal plants, along with numerous types of birds, butterflies and fish, some of which are endemic.