WILPATTU RESETTLEMENT: BATHIUDEEN NOTICED

The Court of Appeal yesterday noticed Minister Rishad Bathiudeen to appear in Court on September 16 in the wake of a writ petition filed against illegal deforestation and re-settlement inside the Wilpattu National Park.

The Court also issued notice on the Conservator General, Central Environmental Authority, Director General of the Wildlife Department, Commissioner General of Lands, Commissioner General of Archaeological Department, the Mannar District Secretary and some others.

Notice was issued by Justice Vijith K.Malalgoda (President) based on the public interest litigation on the alleged deforestation and illegal construction of houses in the Northern Sanctuary of the Wilpattu National Park and the forest complex of Madhu, Periyamadhu and Sannara.

The Centre for Environmental Justice (Guarantee) Limited filed a writ application seeking Court to take action against the removal of forest cover and to restore the forest lands to the forest reserve and organise a forest replanting programme.

Attorneys Ravindranath Dabare with Nilmal Wickramasinghe appeared for the petitioner. The petitioner states that 2,000 hectares in the forest complex adjoining the Wilpattu National Park and 1,000 hectares in Madhu, Periyamadhu and Sannara areas have been cleared, divided into plots, made roads and established unauthorized settlement causing irreparable damage to the whole environment, the ecosystem and wildlife habitats.

The petitioner states that 1,500 families have been illegally settled in the cleared area and Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has been involved in deforestation and resettlement under the pretext of resettling internally displaced people.

The petition states that clearance of the reserves and sanctuaries and construction of housing project is a contravention of the Act and current regulations and is unauthorized, unlawful and illegal and a punishable offence.