Environmentalists Requests Support From Cardinal To Save Muturajawela Wetland
Environmentalists have asked Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith join hands with them when they file action against those responsible in destructing the vicinity of Muthurajawela
Earthlanka reliably understands that those fought for justice would be assisted by the Roman Catholic High Priest. According to gazette 947/13 published on October 30, 1996, this area is located to the south of the Negombo lagoon has been identified as a sanctuary. Against such a backdrop, a gazette was issued on the October 13 in 2006, by the then Environment Minister Maithripala Sirisena declaring that several lands in the area could be used for development.
Recently, the signboards indicating sanctuaries in the area had been removed and replaced with boards claiming private ownership of the land. How was the Muthurajawela forest reserve belonging to the Wildlife Department transferred to a private company?”, His Eminence queried.
His Eminence warned the country belongs to the people and not the rulers, corporations, or foreign entities.
Muthurajawela is in a new controversy due to the latest proposal by Malwatta property developers to build a golf course, a hotel project and number of other projects within Muthurajawela sanctuary and the surrounding marsh.
Sanctuary is ideally an area which human activities are not allowed other than traditional livelihoods such as fishing. But the Central Environmental Authority has given a Terms of reference(TOR) for the company to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment or EIA to investigate whether the dozens of proposed projects can be approved.
Speaking to Earthlanka, Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Executive Director Hemantha Withanage, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) doesn’t have to issue a TOR when the prima facie evidence shows that such project cannot be approved due to the sensitivity of the proposed project location.
“Instead, CEA has instructed the developer to spend more money into the project EIA and passed the burden to the public in making the decision. That way CEA officials have washed their hands which is not the right approach as a public authority established in Sri Lanka to protect our common natural resources. CEA has even failed to protect Colombo wetland’s which is now less than 2000 Ha,” he added.
CEA Chairman S. Amerasinghe said they have dropped the legal action against the developer on digging the Dutch Canal after they were informed that it was done as requested by the Irrigation Department. However, irrigation Department has not involved in any project in this area since 1970.
According the National Environmental Act, no 47 of 1980(as amended) and the EIA regulations gazette 722/22 in June 1993, filling of more than four Ha of a wetland, removal of trees from more than one Ha needs an EIA. However, CEA is aware that Muthurajawela is a wetland area that has many ecosystem services which cannot lose for a development project in this nature, Withanage said.
Muthurajawela is a marsh is connecting Kelani River and Negombo lagoon with a 30 km long wetland area. That is the final flood plan for the Gampaha district which drain all the water from the paddy lands in the upstream lowlands. The Muthurajawela Marshes are 3,068 ha (7,580 acres) in area and the country’s largest saline coastal peat bog. It is one of 12 priority wetlands in Sri Lanka. The marsh, together with the Negombo lagoon forms an integrated coastal wetland ecosystem (6,232 ha in total extent). The marsh-lagoon complex is estimated to have originated about 5000 years BC .
Ja Ela, Dutch Canal and Hamilton Canal have been constructed during the Dutch and British colonial period the regulate water in this area. Yet this march is the nutrient source for the Negombo Lagoon which will die if not maintain properly.
According to Prof Athula Senarathne, Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, this Peat contain high levels of Arsenic and Mercury which will be dangerous to people in Negombo area in case come out if someone damage the peat deposit.
In 1992, A master plan was prepared and in 1996 an area of 1,777 ha (4,390 acres) of the northern part of the Muthurajawela marsh was declared a wetland sanctuary by the government, under the Fauna and Flora Protection Act, in recognition of its rich biodiversity. It was found that certain people still claim the private land ownership to this Marsh and the abandoned paddy field centuries ago.
The region supports 192 distinct species including Slender Loris, as well as another 102 species of birds. Some of the identified species have been shown to be indigenous to the marsh.
According to the IUCN report an Assessment of the Status of Biodiversity in the Muthurajawela Wetland Sanctuary (Dr Channa Bambaradeniya (et.al, 2002) A total of 209 species of vertebrate fauna, belonging to 96 families were recorded from Muthurajawela. Of the total number of species recorded, 17 (9 %) are endemic, while 26 (12 %) are nationally threatened (IUCN Sri Lanka, 2000).
Among the endemic vertebrate species at Muthurajawela, 60% are nationally threatened. A comparison of inland native vertebrate fauna of Sri Lanka and in the Muthurajawela wetland sanctuary. The native vertebrate fauna of Muthurajawela represents 30% of Sri Lanka’s native inland vertebrate species. This is a significant proportion, when considering the size of this wetland. Of the total vertebrate species recorded, a majority (35%) were uncommon, while 13% were very common, and 5% were very rare.
Muthurajawela is an important marsh for flood controls, climate resilience, fish production, regulating the Negombo lagoon etc.
In 2003 IUCN report “Assessment of the Economic Value of Muthurajawela Wetland”
prepared by Dr. Lucy Emerton (et al) states that Estimating the monetary worth of some of these wetland benefits shows that Muthurajawela has a high direct and indirect economic value of Rs. 726.5 million a year, or Rs 0.24 million/ha. As is typical for the case of urban wetlands, ecosystem services contribute the main part (90%) of this value, and fisheries (36% of total resource use values) and agriculture (41%) are the most economically valuable resource uses.
According to Prof Prashanthi Gunawardena the current economic benefits of Muthurajawela is about Rs. 2747.6 million a year. These figures are about ecosystems services for common people and not the profits for greedy people by destroying the marsh. Perhaps business project can make more money in filling the marsh and making hotels. But we should know that those profits will not come to public.
The proposed project is located in the mid part of the marsh which has moderate biodiversity and moderate ecological significance. Destruction of this part for human activities and allowing human interactions during and after the construction will certainly a great danger to the Marsh ecosystem.
Other than the Wildlife Department, in 2006 the Central Environmental Authority has also declared part of the Muthurajawela Marsh as an Environmentally Sensitive area under the National Environmental act. However, both agencies have failed to stop land encroachments, illegal filling, waste dumping, illegal piggeries, poultry farms and even large industries etc.
Since 2000 more than half of the Muthurajawela has been destroyed by the local people and mostly politically connected and rich business tycoons. Corrupt agencies are fully responsible for the state of environment in Muthurajawela today.
IUCN 2002 report has recommended
Upgrade the Muthurajawela Wetland Sanctuary to a higher conservation status.
II. Document the legal status of land within the Muthurajawela Wetland Sanctuary.
III. Initiate studies to document the current socio-economic status related to resource use in Muthurajawela, as well as the physico-chemical and hydrological status of Muthurajawela Wetland Sanctuary.
IV. Initiate prompt action against practices that degrade the wetland.
V. Initiate restoration activities to enhance degraded habitats.
However, upto date CEA and the Wildlife Department has failed to take necessary protection measures to save Muthurajawela Marsh. It was found that there are number of technical errors in the Muthurajawela sanctuary gazette. Without correcting the fundamental errors and approaches Muthurajawela protection is a daydream.
The Fundamental Rights petition against the Colombo Municipal Council, Urban Development Authority, Central Environment Authority etc. dumping garbage in the Muthurajawela sanctuary came in 2017 blocked such dumping. It was filed by the Muthurajaela protection society including Thirty-five Petitioners who reside in close proximity to the Muthurajawela sanctuary. In 2002 we are able to stop one local politician handing over land to the people.
some 5000 households adjacent to Muthurajawela today which was only 700 house- holds in 2002. Over half a million people will be directly affected if the relevant authorities failed to manage this land mass. It’s time to act against the corrupt agencies and officials. Although very few local people have come forward, majority living around Muturajawela and Negombo lagoon as very silent on the destruction. They will face the consequences if not act today.
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