Environmental activists want lion’s share of compensation for restoration

MV X-Press Pearl disaster

Environmental activists, Dr. Ajantha Perera and Jeran Jegatheesan, on Thursday, filed a case at the Supreme Court, urging it to instruct NARA and/or any other technically competent authority to give reasons for the destruction of marine life during recent weeks following the MV X-Press Pearl disaster and propose immediate/long term preventive measures.

The petitioners have also requested the court to order Chandana Suriyabandara, Director General – Department of Wildlife Conservation, to reveal the findings of his department’s investigations. They also want Suriyabandara to report the actual impact of the ship disaster on marine life.

The petitioners have requested the court to order Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), Dharshani Lahandapura Chairperson – MEPA and Dr Nalaka Godahewa, State Minister of Urban Development to set up an expert committee (including the petitioners and other concerned groups of citizens) to mitigate and manage the long-term effect of the disaster and formulate a comprehensive conservation/restoration plan.

The petitioners want the aforesaid respondents to establish a “Restoration and Conservation Fund” to carry out conservation /restoration/ rehabilitation/ regeneration activities, in consultation with the Coast Conservation Department (CCD), the Central Environmental Authority(CEA) and the National Aquatic Research Authority(NARA) and channel no less than 70% of all compensation received in connection with the incident on the vessel X-Press Pearl to this fund.

The petitioners have urged the court to instruct the MEPA, Lahandapura, Godahewa and Sri Lanka Ports Authority to come up with contingency plans to handle possible pollution due to accidents involving vessels that enter Sri Lankan territorial waters.