Web of Life

This refers to the letter in the Island of 30th August by Mr. Rajakaruna of Boralesgamuwa. He appears to be thrilled about the action being taken to set up an organisation to protect the Bellanwila bird sanctuary. What is the need for another NGO to protect this sanctuary when there were a plethora of them to crow about the need for the sanctuary, its protection and pressurised its creation way back in 1990? The total neglect seen in the area is sufficient evidence of their sincerity and commitment to the grandiose plans formulated to assist the Wild Life Department in the management of the sanctuary. The suggestion to plant trees to beautify the area too is nothing new and was a proposal in 1990 with the offer of services towards it by an NGO. Have the old NGOs run out of steam or credibility to warrant the creation of a brand new one?

Mr. Rajakaruna enjoys the beautiful sanctuary and very concerned about its birds and butterflies but pays scant attention to human problems created by the declaration of the sanctuary. He should be aware that a large number of people owning lands within the sanctuary are in abject misery as they are denied the opportunity of deriving any benefit from their valuable property.

This sanctuary was declared due to heavy pressure brought upon the Department by NGOs. Neither the department nor the NGOs who initiated it and the other nature lovers had any inkling of the ownership details of these lands. It had been assumed that the area was mostly state owned. On that basis the cost of acquisition of the lands was under-estimated. The folly was realized only when owners began clamouring for compensation for their lands. A section of the sanctuary which was gazetted for acquisition had to be divested even without taking possession of the land because the Department never had the money to pay compensation. The meagre resources available to the Department had to be utilised for more significant conservation and development projects.

An influential monk in the vicinity is blamed for filling and developing the western side of the park for a car park among other things while chairing meetings for the protection of the wet land. Hypocracy? Yes indeed! but not confined to this priest. The numerous NGOs and nature lovers who demand to enjoy the best of things in life expect the government or other people to foot the bill too fall in the same category.

Owners of these lands have waited patiently for over fourteen years to get compensation for their lands worth hundreds of million rupees. Owners of land in other marshes like the Kotte/Battaramulla marshes including state-agencies such as the Central Environmental Authority, Western Provincial Council etc. have filled, developed and constructed massive buildings on them. These marshes too had their bird population.

Reference was made to an influential politician owning a few acres of land within the reserve cutting down trees and shrubs. Please desist by calling it a reserve when the area is only a sanctuary. Nature lovers should know the vast difference between the two.

The first step for the proposed centre is not to invoke the Reclamation Board Act to demolish and take the land. It should as a first step purchase all private lands within the area and thereafter protect, promote and reserve the vandalized Bellanwila-Attidiya bird sanctuary. Sirasa and other media could be made use of to help collect funds from the large number of nature lovers to buy the private lands.

S. R. A. Fernando,
Talangama.

(http://www.island.lk/2004/09/14/opinion5.html)