Govt. backers grab proposed sanctuary land

By Ifham Nizam

More than 40 acres of forest at the Bogahapattiya proposed sanctuary in the Central Province had been bulldozed on Sunday and the clearing of the forest was going on yesterday as well, environmentalists said last night.

Some environmentalists reported the land grab to the police via the 1997 hotline, but no action had been taken until this edition went to press.

Environmental Scientist Supun Lahiru Prakash told The Island: “The proposed Bogahapattiya Sanctuary is being destroyed. Encroachment has been reported from the Newara, Ambakolaara, and Lunueliya areas. The encroachers are blatantly violating the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.”

Prakash, who is an authority on elephant research, said that the Bogahapattiya proposed sanctuary played an important role as an elephant home range and habitat for elephants migrating from the Udawalawa and Lunugamwehera National Parks along Dahaiyagala elephant corridor.

“This area borders the Rajawaka and Samanala forest reserves.”

After a public outcry against the damage to the Dahaiyagala elephant corridor, the situation there was under control now, a senior Forest Department officer said yesterday on condition of anonymity, but added that the encroachment of the surrounding forest land belonging to the Department of Forest Conservation and the forest lands in the Bogahapattiya proposed sanctuary had become the prime target of businessmen and local politicians, environmentalists said.

“The encroachers are flouting the National Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980, the Forest (Amendment) Act No. 65 of 2009, and the Antiquities Ordinance No. 9 of 1940, and, therefore, we are asking the government to put an end to the destruction of forests.