Web of Life

Thousands of people on Sunday ( 7) morning staged a massive protest and Satyagraha at Gatambe Rajapanaramaya beside the Bomaluwa against the proposed project on recycling of solid waste in close proximity to the sacred area by the banks of the Mahaweli Ganga.

Dayake Sabha of Gatambe Rajopawanaramaya, members of all associations connected with the conservation of Rajopawanarama sacred area, students of Sri Amarawansa Dhamma School and people in the area participated in the Sathyagraha compaign. Later the campaigners blocked the Kandy - Colombo highway.

Before the start of the Satyagraha campaign Viharadhipathy, Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimala Thera addressing the crowd said projects of this sort are needed but they should be located in suitable places. "Although the authorities give assurances that no harm will be caused by the project we have the experience of past instances where the repercussions had been adverse.

When such a project was located at the Peradeniya hospital we protested and the authorities said that it would not affect the Viharaya and Bomaluwa area but later we could not bear the stench as proper maintenance measures were not adopted", he said.

He referred to the instance in which the politicians erected barbed wire fences enclosing the Viharaya. No harm could be caused due to the miraculous power of the place.

Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa Neranjan Wijeratne said that the location mentioned was not the proper place to locate a solid waste recycling project as the water cutting ceremony of Sri Dalada Maligawa was conducted in close proximity.

Venerable Galketiwa Ratanawansa Thera of Rajopavanaramaya, Bhikshu parliamentarian Udawatte Nanda Thera and the Secretary of Rajapavanarama Dayake Sabha W. R. D. Bandara also spoke.