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‘Human activity still allowed in elephant reserve’

26 Apr 2021

 

  • Farmers claim gazette has many problems 

  • Satyagraha reaches 100-day mark today

  Farmers in Walsapugala are continuing their Satyagraha for the 100th day today (26), despite the gazette on the Hambantota Wild Elephant Management Reserve being published, claiming that human activity is still allowed inside the reserve. “There are many problems in the gazette that was issued two weeks ago. One of the main problems is that human activity is still allowed inside the reserve, under these regulations. That defeats the purpose of a reserve,” Walawa Left Bank Joint Farmers’ Association President Mahinda Samarawickrema told The Morning yesterday (25). According to Samarawickrema, the gazette had been issued under Section 2(2) of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance which is the same provision regulating the Diyawanna Oya area near Parliament, where human activity is also permitted as normal. “Only elephants are missing near Diyawanna. This gazette could lead to the destruction of the reserve,” added Samarawickrema. Commenting on the borders of the reserve demarcated by the gazette, Samarawickrama said that both a highway and a solar farm were within the boundaries as well, defeating the purpose of a special reserve for wild animals. “We have requested a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa regarding the matter but he is yet to get back to us. A meeting with the Hambantota District Secretary, the Sooriyawewa Divisional Secretary, and officials of the Wildlife Department and the Mahaweli Development Authority is scheduled for next week,” said Samarawickrema. All attempts to contact Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation C.B. Rathnayake regarding the matter proved futile. The Walsapugala Village has been suffering for many years due to the human-elephant conflict that has left villagers in constant fear for their lives, with pleas going unheard by the relevant authorities. A total of 86 agrarian associations in the area currently support the protest movement, which has been continuing for over 90 days.  


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