CRIES IN KITHULGALA

In line with the principles of Sustainable development, aspects such as the environment, the diverse needs of the people and their personal well-being should be the main focus. It appears that the relevant authorities have not learned a lesson from the hazards of the Uma Oya Multipurpose Development project in Bandarawela which caused social, economic, ecological and geological distress. The same thing is being repeated under the Broadlands Hydro Power Plant Project in Kithulgala. As a result of the continuous blasting of the tunnel under the project costing 82 million USD, the residents now have to pay with their lives.

PURSUING UNSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The sad plight of development projects are that they are driven by a single minded purpose. They do not fully consider the consequences.the relevant authorities have forgotten that the longer we pursue unsustainable development, the more frequent and severe its consequences are likely to become.

The New Broadlands Power Plant in Kithulgala being constructed centering on the Maskeliya and Kehelgamu Oya, two main branches of the Kelani River, expects to support the power needs of the country by adding 35 megawatts of power daily to the national grid. The Chinese contribution to the project is more than than that of the local one, which may be one of reasons why the geological situation and the feedback of the residents were not taken into consideration before the project was launched.

The Broadlands Hydro Power Plant which is the last in the series of Laxapana hydro power plants has been halted for 25 years due to environmental concerns.

Land acquisition and the resettling of villagers displaced due to the project was a problematic situation that was finally given a ‘solution’. As the project officials explained, there have been 48 families who lost their properties due to the project.they have been given compensation before their lands were taken over for the project. But, after the construction of the project brgan, a new number of displaced people were reported and increase daily.

CRACKED WALLS AND SINKING HOUSES DUE TO FREQUENT TUNNEL BLASTS

Blasts reverberating from the Broadlands project cause nearby houses to shake, instilling fear in the residents.

They have not had a good, safe sleep after the blasting of the tunnel started more than a year ago because blasts thunder through the construction site of the tunnel, day and night. As a result, many of the houses’ walls have cracked. A lack of know-how to estimate the extent of the damage sustained by the blasts and the poor blasting pattern have further aggravated these problems. The Project Manager responsible for the blasting said they had informed the residents to go outside the allowed parameters.

The Power Plant’s constructions were initiated by the then Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi under the theme ‘Electricity for all at all times’ but what we witnessed when we visited Kithulgala was closer to ‘fear for all at all times’.

The villagers claim that their lives are in danger and request the Government to take immediate action to rectify the situation and to compensate their losses. Chinese funded Broadlands Hydro Power project poses threat to poverty-stricken village

As the project officials explained, there have been 48 families who lost their properties due to the project. They have been given compensation before their lands were taken over for the project The Project Manager responsible for the blasting said they had informed the residents to go outside the allowed parameters