Penalty for environmental destruction to be increased ten-fold

By Ifham Nizam

The penalty for environmental degradation will be increased ten-fold in the proposed new National Environmental Act that is now in the pipeline, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

“While penalizing those responsible for deforestation, people who preserve the environment should be recognized and honored”, he noted, while adding that an awards ceremony will be conducted in this regard.

The Minister said that 107,000 saplings have been planted countrywide during the last four months under the ‘Husma Dena Thuru ‘ tree planting program. The National Tree Planting campaign has become very popular and many parties have appreciated the effort and started following it.

A similar tree planting program held in Angunakolapelessa recently was successful. Under the main ‘Husma Dena Thuru’ national program, a target has been set to plant two million saplings in the next four years, he further said.

A human being needs 550 liters (2.5kg) of oxygen per day to live. A person needs at least 10 trees to produce the required oxygen intake. Some people who live on this oxygen, don’t plant at least one tree in their lifetime, he opined.

He said tree worship was done because ancient ancestors knew this fact. People called them tree gods. Without trees, the human race is doomed to extinction.