Categories: HeadlinesSports

Uma Oya project’s trail of destruction: Who turned a deaf ear to objections from environmentalists?

With many still recovering from the trail of destruction left behind by the recent devastating floods and landslides, hundreds and thousands of people from 12 districts in the country, are now being battered by severe drought.

One of the main contributing factors for the lack of rainfall is the damage caused to the environment.

The Uma Oya issue has currently become a main talking point due to the harm caused to the central mountainous region, which is a key catchment area.

Could this issue have not been identified beforehand?

Couldn’t the environmental feasibility reports prepared before the commencement of this project, foresee this destruction?

Environmentalists and locals in the area voiced their objections to the initial phase of this project when it was launched five years ago, due to the environmental harm it brings along with it.

Work on the project went ahead, paying no heed to the environmental  impact,  on the basis that short term issues could crop up for a long term programme.

This has resulted in a massive leak in the tunnel which is being constructed under the Uma Oya project.

This was the response given by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Prof. Swarna Piyasiri, who headed the team which compiled the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment Report

Â

Lankanewspapers

Recent Posts

LNP – CEB urges rooftop solar owners to switch off inverters

In a move to maintain the stability of the national power grid during the festive…

12 hours ago

LNP – Sri Lanka’s maternal mortality remarkably reduced, spike in low weight births: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights that Sri Lanka has made remarkable progress by reducing…

16 hours ago

LNP – No special access for elites at sacred tooth relic exposition

There will be no special queues or tickets for elite individuals during the exposition of…

16 hours ago

LNP – Bank card payments for expressway tolls to be implemented from May 1

Bank card transactions will be implemented from May 1 to facilitate toll payments on all…

16 hours ago

LNP – US has no capacity to impose its will on the rest of the world: Ranil

The U.S. does not have the economic capacity to impose its will on the rest…

1 day ago

LNP – More time needed to gauge impact of global shocks on Sri Lanka’s economy: IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that the Sri Lankan government remains committed to program…

1 day ago