Environmentalists perturbed over unauthorised construction work

Knuckles Range being environmentally damaged

Representatives of environmental organisations in the Matale District expressed concern about the on going unauthorised construction work in the Knuckles Range which was a World Heritage forest.

Director of the GRAPEC organization Gamini Jayatissa told the District Environmental Committee that the construction work of multistoried buildings were going on unchecked. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Additional Government Agent Thejani Tilakaratne. Environmentalists pointed out that barbed wire fences had been erected on large stretches of land that were now being cleared for building purposes.

He also said racketeers were carrying on illegal gem mining and earth mining causing extensive environmental damage to the highly sensitive environmental zone rich in bio diversity and water resources that form the catchments of several rivers feeding the hydro reservoirs.

The Government Agent explained the proposed programme to protect the Knuckles range from the ongoing human activities. She said a survey of land that was within the boundaries of the forest range had been carried out and files were now being processed.

Matale Additional Government Agent (Land), Kulatunga Hettiarachchi and Matale District Officer of the Central Environmental Authority M.M.A.I. Janka addressed the committee.