Political hand behind illegal clearing of Attidiya Sanctuary

• Most  of the six conditions specified by the WLCD have been violated

By Piyumi Fonseka

Violating  conditions and guidelines imposed by the Wild Life Conservation  Department (WLCD), a charity organization backed by a powerful political  hand has cleared and filled a part of land belonging to the Attidiya Bird  Sanctuary.

The revelations were unearthed in an  investigation by the 
Daily Mirror Eye, following complaints from  environmentalists who denied to reveal their names in fear of ongoing political  intimidation. The WLCD has in 2009 given a  conditional approval for the charity foundation headed by a businessman  and a Buddhist monk to initiate a construction project in this controversial private property along D.S.Kahawita Mawatha, Attidiya.

Most  of the six conditions specified by the WLCD have been violated and the  current situation has posed a threat to the sanctuary, which is rich of  marshy lands and water bodies with a large number of terrestrial and  aquatic habitats. However, when the 

Daily Mirror  contacted the present Director General of the WLCD, he said he was not  even aware of any complaint or any problematic situation with regard to  this land. 

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