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Port City worse than Uma Oya: Environmentalist

2 March 2018 06:23 am - 15     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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According to the current situation, the Port City project will cause worse environmental hazards than the Uma Oya project, said the People’s Movement Against Port City on Wednesday.

Commenting on this, environmentalist Sajeewa Chamikara said since 2011 they had been educating the civil society on the possible environmental damage this project could bring.

“The adverse environmental impacts we forecasted are taking place now. The coastal belt up to Ratmalana and Negombo is damaged and the waves and sea current have been irregular along these areas. However, the government has allocated a staggering Rs. 1,500 million from last year’s budget to prevent sea erosion. Water sources in Gampaha and Kalutara Districts are drying out as granite is supplied to the project. The Chinese company that has undertaken the project violates sand mining procedures. The government should intervene and bring this project to a halt at least now,” he said.

Meanwhile, Systems Ecologist Dr. Ranil Senanayake said the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) would be increased by 25 to 30 times due to this project and that would lead to severe health issues.

“The construction of skyscrapers and use of cement and other material contribute to the increase of fine particulate matter. Even now, the PM2.5 value is three times in Colombo. This spike will lead to cancer and respiratory problems of people. However, the project will surely be a tourist attraction if we can construct a green park in the project site,” he said. (Ajith Siriwardana)


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  Comments - 15

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  • WeatherCock Friday, 02 March 2018 10:12 AM

    When I saw what happened at Unawatuna about 4 years ago, I predicted this disaster. MR and RW, you are our angles or for the Chinese?

    Karu Friday, 02 March 2018 10:20 AM

    All we can do is dry in silence. There are people willing to sign any blank paper for kick backs

    public Friday, 02 March 2018 10:38 AM

    Different experts are going to different opinions but the important thing is that a consensus has been reached and 95% of the experts believe that the negative environmental aspects of this project can be mitigated and managed appropriately and that benefits of this project outweigh the negative effects.

    Pariot Friday, 02 March 2018 10:40 AM

    Expect unexpected in due course.

    Ravi Wikramasinghe Friday, 02 March 2018 10:59 AM

    This self claimed environmentalist writer is once JVP national list candidate. we need to be careful of various political agendas as many countries specially the big bro is quite hypocritical about the development here. we need to learn from Hambantota port, many writers funded by various opposing countries wrote negative but today its becoming a profitable venture. shall read about the writer before reading the article. :)

    m. fahim massaron Friday, 02 March 2018 11:04 AM

    Apart from impact of Sand Mining, have the authorities considered impact of possibility of an OIL LEAK from any of the tankers sailing close to Colombo Port.

    Senaka Friday, 02 March 2018 11:54 AM

    With these negative people SL will NEVER develop. Might as well stop all construction projects and everybody goes back to living in ‘pol athu’ huts in the future.

    Sanj Saturday, 03 March 2018 01:05 PM

    I am afraid that will lead to a huge environmental issue as well.

    Ajja Friday, 02 March 2018 12:30 PM

    Development must go on while taking measures to protect the Environment.

    Brainmaster Friday, 02 March 2018 01:22 PM

    I wonder from where they will take the hugh supply of electricity for Port City.These skyscrapers are all with fully AC and accelerators .And what about the garbage problem water consumption and waste water via DM Android App

    Max Logan Friday, 02 March 2018 02:35 PM

    This is the Indian hidden agenda's voice that you are reading. RAW the Indian secret intelligence service is hell bent on slowing down the Chinese funded development projects and for Sri Lanka to rely solely on it. As "Ravi Wikramasinghe" mentioned above it is accurate that many university experts and independent research organizations here and abroad have conducted extensive feasibility studies on this project and come to the conclusion that the benefits greatly outweigh the negative impact and that it can be mitigated with available engineering knowhow.Uma Oya is a disaster that hit the confined ground water aquifers that was a most 10,000 years old and is indeed a greater disaster that could have been mitigated adequately provided the contractor had sufficient knowledge and expertise in this sort of area of handling projects.... that's why you have to float a tender out highlighting that you are looking for a contractor who has been primarily involved in contacts as such.

    Reader Friday, 02 March 2018 04:33 PM

    Uma Oya and Port City are two different projects that cannot be compared even the impacts.

    Suny Friday, 02 March 2018 05:19 PM

    It s stupid to compare UmaOya was a disaster, but here there are more benefits to Economy than impact

    Kalu Sudda Saturday, 03 March 2018 08:20 AM

    Three generations of youth lost there lives due to the overt destabilization program carried out by "End"ia. Our Airspace was violated

    Jagath fdo Saturday, 03 March 2018 03:53 PM

    There could be indian proxies against the project ,we should be mindful ....on the other hand we have no use of these part time environmentalists ......they raise diffrent opinions which lack credibility.As a one subscriber correctly said many impacts correctly can be mitigated Rosh


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