Unbridled exploitation of natural resources belonging to nation

By Ashley de Vos

Authorities permit the construction of taller, copy-cat buildings, to satisfy their egos totally disregarding the fact that material resources used for these structures are finite and will soon disappear leaving a scar as evidence of the greatest irresponsible destruction to this beautiful island, a nation that belong to all its citizens

Since the advent of the Industrial Revolution, sand, the humblest of materials, is the main material that our modern cities are made of. Sand has become the core of our daily lives. The floors, the walls, the roof, partly in concrete, which is nothing but sand, gravel (metal) and steel glued together with cement. Sand is required to manufacture the glass in the windows, the miles of asphalt, later concrete roads that connect the buildings. Countless trillions of grains of sand is utilised to build the towering structures and we break apart the molecules of individual grains to make tiny computer chips (Vince Beiser. The world in a grain). Today, the construction industry worldwide consumes some $130 billion worth of sand each year (Freedonia Group., World Construction Aggregates 2016).

Sand Mafia

The need to excavate more and more sand, scraping the river beds and even the river banks and the remaining flood plains of the rivers is such that sand mining even threatens bridges. The sand mafia carries on with the greatest confidence, and the possible collapse of a bridge will be blamed on someone else. The holes left in the ground remain as breeding grounds for mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue.

The same applies to the demolition of large boulders and rock escarpments, being dynamited and broken up to provide the rubble and the metal for the construction of large mega structures and highways. In addition, the large blocks and slabs of rock being cut and exported as raw material to earn foreign exchange and for local use. Stone slab paving should not be used in places where people gather, the detrimental effect of the long term exposure to the accumulated radiation naturally present in the stone slabs is anyone’s guess.

The fact that some of these boulders have a significant historical value is of no interest to the suppliers, who supply the material.

Historical Balumgala

One case in point is that a 200-foot-tall boulder on the bank of the Kelaniya River referred to as Ballumgala, on top of which stood King Rajasinghe’s lookout point. Decades ago, the post holes for the timber structure built on the flattened granite top surface were still there. From here the King and his forces could watch the movement of the Portuguese boats plying the Kelani River from Colombo. From this lookout point, he could order the sabotage of the boats in the river, using a simple device. On the opposite bank was the Vidhapu gala. Chains laid across the river connecting the Vidhapu gala with a point near Ballumgala were raised when the Portuguese boats passed. The raising of the chains toppled the boats and threw the Portuguese soldiers into the water and the ready mouths of the many crocodiles that congregated at the spot waiting for the raising of the chains to bring them their next meal!

History ‘demolished’

Today, the boulder is almost no more, completely demolished, excavated and supplied as rubble for construction. This one act has erased an important historic facet of traditional warfare used against the colonial forces that should have been preserved as a memorial to the ingenuity of the local expertise. For some one selling the boulder and breaking it up for rubble, history is less important than greed. In the future, how many similar boulders and rock caves with Brahmi inscriptions will be lost to this enterprise.

From time immemorial all land always belonged to the king. He would issue a copper Sannassa giving access to villages and lands usually to persons who had won his favour in battle or in a similar exercise. Even the so-called Nindagama related to land was issued for use, only to Bukthi Vidinna. It was never on a permanent basis. The King as custodian of the lands, could also take it back, if there was a change in favour. This changed somewhat with the arrival of the colonial powers who usurped ownership of land. The religious orders that came with the Portuguese freely distributed land to their new converts. The Dutch used a similar ruse and used the locally appointed Mudaliers to help maintain the cinnamon plantations and collect taxes and produce for export––in fact, to do the dirty work.

After the British colonial takeover of the island, they declared and even introduced new regulations to usurp village lands. They declared that all land belonged to the Crown. They sold it on 99-year leases, this was the same for the coffee and tea estates as well. After the 99-year lease the land ownership returned to the crown. To be sold to another or to be reacquired. Most of the lands distributed by the British government after the structural expansion of Colombo, even to this date, are lands given to organisations on 99-year leases by the British. The government is reacquiring these lands today.

The Maldivian authorities only offers land for development on short leases. At the end of the lease the land reverts back to the government to do what they please with it. It is the same in Singapore. And similar in most parts of London. Land is leasehold, rearly freehold. An enlightened Sri Lanka should follow a similar principle. Unfortunately, as some assume that Sri Lanka belongs to an organisation or to someone other than the Country and the people of this country, they think they could do what they want with it.

The Archaeological Ordinance of 1941 is very clear, all artefacts found in the ground belong to the Department of Archaeology, as the statutory custodial of all artefacts and historical monuments held on behalf for the government. The land on which they stand though in private hands belongs to the government and the present owners merely Bukthi Vindinawa. Even if the site is important historically there is a process for its declaration and even take over. As such no land could be sold or taken over or passed on by any agency without addressing and obtaining specific permission through the line Ministries concerned, from the people and the country.

Lanka’s marine resources

While Sri Lanka claims that all the resources for a specified hundreds of miles in the ocean, today, under the law of the sea, and extended even further, belongs to the country and its people. Similarly the resources on land as well as in the ocean, including the harbour breakwaters and the groins in the sea also belongs to the country and its people. How could the officers of an Agency that has temporary jurisdiction over some land under its purview for the shortest period, sell the resource to a buyer, local or foreign, when the resource belongs to the people and the country? Did the people of the country give the Agency specific permission to do so? May be it was, a politician who is even more temporary, who entered the space, but has even less right to do so, did. It is the duty of every right minded Official to refuse to be compromised. Could these special Officers stand tall? Sadly there is no one, no, a couple are to be seen.

Ilmenite and Thorium have immense International value, more so in the future. This precious material should then be used for the benefit of the Nation, the country and its people. How could this important and most rare resource be leased out or sold to anyone? The environmental damage, due to the eventual excavation perpetrated on the sand dunes, and the land including the precious Mannar Island, the feeding ground of migrant birds for centuries, will be considerable. Mannar island which is even today just below or just above sea level, with climate change and eminent sea rise is at risk. The excess water discharged into the ocean due to the melting ice caps, will see this small and fragile piece of land completely washed away by the same south west and north east monsoons that helped create the island in the first place. What price is placed on the polluter pays principle for the destruction of the island. How will greed reconstitute the island of Mannar? Why should the country and the people of Sri Lanka eventually lose out?

Eppawala judgment

Dr. Ranjith Amarasinghe, a most worthy son of the soil, issued a judgement on the Eppawela Phosphate deposit, which was to be sold to a multi-national. The judgement is essential reading for all. The priest of the Eppawela temple with the help of activists like Nihal Fernando, the famous photographer, went to court against its sale. The judgement by Dr. Ranjith Amarasinghe, used the law as it stood, and drew the attention of all, to the history, the nation and the people of the nation and presented a masterful document that corrected all. The sale was stopped. There must be more Ranjith Amarasinghe’s amongst us or is it that we are seeing the end of an era, where the Law is no more the Law, with legal eagles spending more time looking for loop holes to serve the perpetrator.

(To be concluded tomorrow)