Court of Appeal stays construction of elevated expressway over Talangama Wetlands

The Court of Appeal yesterday stayed the construction of the four-lane elevated expressway through Talangama Wetlands after considering two writ petitions challenging the legality of the gazette notification permitting its construction.

The Court of Appeal Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna issued notices on the respondents, returnable on 30 March.

The elevated expressway runs through an Environmental Protected Area and it will have a devastating impact on the environment, the petitioners claim. Petitioner R. M. Suwandaratna, a paddy farmer living near the vicinity of the Thalangama Wetlands contended that the Thalangama tank was the main source of water for the paddy fields in the area. 175 families were dependent on paddy farming.

The Petitioner stated that Colombo had eight wetlands, namely, Diyawanna, Diyasaru, Beddagana, Kolonnawa, Heen Ela, Thalawathugoda, Madinnagoda, Mulleriyawa and Talangama. Colombo had been declared as South Asia’s sole wetland city during the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Dubai in 2018.

The Talangama wetlands support endangered plant species and animals. The area is also of historical significance. The decision to build an elevated four lane expressway across a protected wetland was thus an environmental crime, the petitioners claimed.

Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera, Central Environmental Authority, Road Development Authority, Minister of Highway Johnston Fernando, Director-General of Department of Wildlife Conservation Chandana Sooriyabandara and several others have been cited as respondents.

President’s Counsel Saliya Pieris, M. A. Sumanthiran, Pulasthi Hewamanna and Ermiza Tegal appeared for the petitioners.