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Last Updated : 2024-05-09 17:47:00
13 February 2023 06:30 pm - 11 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and the Tourism Ministry, today denied providing approval for the staging of the Deep Jungle festival on the outskirts of Habarana from Feb.17 to Feb.20 which was advertised as a 'major tourism festival' by its organizers.
K.P.P. Siriwardana, Managing Director of SLTPB in a letter to the Conservator General of Forest of the Department of Forest said Sri Lanka Tourism and the Ministry of Tourism categorically denied having provided any form of approval for the event but based on clearances obtained from other line agencies to stage this event and on submission, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau had provided endorsement from a Tourism perspective.
However this too will be withdrawn unless necessary environmental clearance is obtained, Siriwardana said.
"Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau strongly recommends the canceling of the planned event if the organizers have not obtained the necessary environmental, Wild Life, Forest, and other related agency clearances/approval.
It is important that we develop a mechanism for all related organizations to work in consultation with an understanding and a good working arrangement, to avoid similar occurrences in the future," Siriwardana said in his letter.
Organizers of the Deep Jungle Festival said this event will be Sri Lanka’s biggest cross-cultural music festival to introduce an optimal framework for contemporary music festival culture, not only to attract tourists to Sri Lanka but also to cement Sri Lanka as the trua wonder of Asia.
However, the event has raised concern from animal rights activists saying that the area will inflict harm on the wildlife, local communities, and tourist industry in the region.
Executive Director/Senior Environmental Scientist of the Center for Environmental Justice, Hemantha Withanage told Daily Mirror that a music festival of this nature to be staged in an elephant corridor in Habarana was not suitable as it would disturb the wildlife.
"The elephants will panic due to the massive sounds from the festival and since there is a railway track nearby, the elephants may tend to cross the railway crossing in fear leading to possible accidents," Withanage said.
He further said that the approved land extent for the Festival was one acre but the organizers had taken up nearly three acres.
"The Presidential Secretariat last year in September instructed officials to give this event priority. Subsequently, the Wildlife Department in Habarana and the Tourist Board granted approval," the Center for Environmental Justice said.
However, they maintained that music festivals of this nature in an environmentally sensitive area would cause disturbance to the wildlife and should be avoided.
Attempts to contact Wildlife Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Tourism Minister Harin Fernando failed. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)
Yoga Monday, 13 February 2023 08:12 PM
It shows lack of concerns on environment and wildlife. For the shake of promoting tourism we can't do all kind of nonsense like this.
City Tuesday, 14 February 2023 06:22 AM
We have to think positive and move forward. Farmers and locals disturb these animals frequently by using different methods for their benefits.
M Fernando Monday, 13 February 2023 11:10 PM
We must promote tourism at all costs to come out of our economic troubles and earn dollars Permit or No Permit, tourism activities like this are an absolute must to earn money. We can tolerate a bit of destruction to wildlife and environment in the name of Tourism and Dollars
Gn Monday, 13 February 2023 11:13 PM
Protecting wildlife is more important than pleasing a few tourists who want to party, there are other places for that, noise pollution, waste pollution, damage to environment, what about the animals that live in the trees around the proposed site, birds nests, monkeys, better off sending them into parliament to parry if they want to be around animals
Fred Tuesday, 14 February 2023 04:28 AM
But this is typical of SL not doing the basics but engaging in gimmicks to succeed. And when things go wrong appointing committees to investigate causes. Just say NO. Tourists will come when there is peace, stability, good infrastructure, the basics
Wije Tuesday, 14 February 2023 07:20 AM
Pathetic situation, other nations protect nature to make money we are opposite.
Ganeshan Tuesday, 14 February 2023 08:00 AM
We are so messed up theres no proper chain of agencies to organize an event properly, have to be bribing left and right doing favours
Adwani Tuesday, 14 February 2023 08:33 AM
It is not a matter of environmental issues, tourism in any case must be promoted, since tourists are interested in some strange but limited tours in the jungle areas. Instead of suffering for the debt lets join togather to do something worth. Ministry officials are government workers, when any arrangements are proposed they only think of bribe first, as most of the investors are turned back due to cases of bribing. Kantale Sugar Corporation deal is one such example.
Siri Nanayakkara Tuesday, 14 February 2023 10:50 AM
The very little area in this Island , that is set aside for the Wild Life is sacrosanct
Man Wednesday, 15 February 2023 09:22 AM
If not approval given, stop it. It is as simple as that.
“ The Lansi Burgher Gent “ Thursday, 16 February 2023 04:18 PM
SriLanka’s forest cover is at an all time low of just 16% (values at the end of 2022). At this rate of deforestation and environmental destruction, severely impacted by overpopulation, no birth control nor family planning, we will be down to a forest cover of 10% by 2025 - 2028. By then, our exploding population would have also gone well past the 23 Million mark, increasing on a daily basis. The strains on the limited natural resources, land, energy and whatever else have you, will go beyond sustainable - just like our national debt. Tourists will have nothing left to see, as wildlife numbers will fall, this place will turn arid, severe environmental destruction will ruin what’s left of what we have and we will be left with concrete jungles, shanty towns and full of vehicles plying about. What we should emulate is other island countries like Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Polynesia, all the Solomon Islands, the Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius. Instead, we end up an eyesore.
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