Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera embarks on planting 100 million trees

Parliamentarian Ven.rathana Thera said he launched a programme for planting 100 million tree saplings under what he called ‘maatha‘ programme.

The function to mark the launch of the project was conducted recently. Addressing the function, Ven. Rathana Thera said the United Nations had warned that one billion people would be deprived of drinking water.

“Ours is a civilization of 2500 years.yet,we never do any damage to the forested central hills. The British rulers destroyed these forest lands for the cultivation of commercial crops within 50 years. Forests are denuded even today. There is no reforestation. We won’t get rain if not for the forests in the central hills. We have a hilly region in the central part of the country, and 102 rivers originate from this region.this is how fortunate our country is ,” he said. To reverse the damage wreaked by the arrogant, arbitrary conduct of man, he said his organisation had decided to appeal to the world to proliferate the growth of forests by planting saplings. Rev. Prasad Harshana who represented Cardinal His Eminence Malcom Ranjith said a newly-born baby inhales air even before it is fed with breastmilk , and therefore the improvement and protection of air quality through the cultivation of trees is of paramount importance. He said the Catholic Church would extend its unstinted support towards the tree cultivation initiative embarked upon by Ven.rathana Thera. Former Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara said there is environmental degradation caused by development activities facilitated by advanced human development.

“Environmental degradation is a topic talked about in the world,” he said.

He said there is an opportunity in this manner today to give new life to the environment.