‘Soba Sumitrayo’ launches environmental protection programme
Recently they held a seminar at the Galagoda Tsunami Housing Scheme in the Ratgama electorate with the participation of schoolchildren, teachers and the residents of the housing scheme
“Soba Sumitrayo, the Friends of Nature Organisation has launched a community based environmental protection programme to create public awareness on the integrity of the environment for the survival of man and to educate the public on how to tap its natural resources without causing any damage to the environment.
Recently they held a seminar at the Galagoda Tsunami Housing Scheme in the Ratgama electorate with the participation of schoolchildren, teachers and the residents of the housing scheme. Consultant of the “Friends of Nature” organization, Ravi de Silva who delivered the keynote address stressed the need to protect the forest cover. He pointed out that deforestation resulted in soil erosion, earth slips, landslides, dwindling of water resources and silting of rivers, tanks and reservoirs.
He further said “Several rare animals and plant species were today facing the threat of extinction. Hydrologists have predicted that before long more than three quarters of the world community would face a severe shortage of pure dinking water and that water would be the scarcest resource in the world More than 1.2 billion people in the world are already facing hardship for want of drinking water. Sri Lanka has a share of it and the people in many areas of the country have been affected by the shortage of drinking water. UN had predicted that scarcity of drinking water would affect three quarters of the world population by 2025. Tree planting campaigns in Sri Lanka are mere showoffs organised by the officials to gain publicity. After the ceremony, the plants are not cared for and left to wither. The end result of planting 1000 trees ceremonially is the ruin of 1000 trees. In Sweden a person who wants to cut a tree should plant at least two trees in its place and obtain a certificate. However it was sad that in Sri Lanka the forest cover had been reduced in alarming proportions every year. This would pose a serious threat to the survival of man.”
Ven. Ambalangoda Rathanasaa Thera who delivered an Anusasana said the community members including children should have a thorough understanding of the vital issues relevant to the balance of nature and its impact on human life. The Ven. Thera pointed out that global warming was a serious issue affecting the survival of man and the earth’s temperature had risen by about 0.6 degrees C in the last century signaling a disastrous situation.