If Deep Jungle festival is held, legal action will take against those responsible: CEJ

If the Deep Jungle festival is held as planned, the Center for Environmental Justice (CEJ) said that legal action will be taken against the organizers of the music festival, the police, the Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Department, and the District Secretariat.

CEJ Executive Director/Senior Environmental Scientist Hemantha Withanage told a media briefing that currently there is no permission granted to hold the music festival.

The organizers have obtained support and permission from the President's office, the Prime Minister's office, the Public Security Ministry, and others. However, final conditional approval has been issued by the Department of Forest Conservation, and the approval highlights the fact that the said location is adjacent to a reserve forest, Withanage said.

"100-hours of non-stop music will unquestionably have a negative impact on the environment. We have already spoken with our legal teams, and if this continues, we will undoubtedly take legal action," Withanage said.

The Deep Jungle Entertainment (PVT) Ltd has organized the "Deep Jungle Music and Cultural Festival" under the patronage of some of the government authorities will be held next to the "Galoya Forest Reserve," a well-known elephant corridor in Habarana (which connects the Hurulu Eco Park to Kaudulla and Minneriya national parks), from February 17–19. 

Meanwhile, RARE Sri Lanka Founder and Communication Co-ordinator Panchali Panapitiya stated that approximately 150–200 elephants pass through this elephant corridor every day. The area is a very active elephant habitat, and the Forest Department has requested that the organizers maintain low noise levels. 

Withanage said the animal kingdom responds to noise very differently. Hearing ranges from very high frequency ultrasound (>20,000 Hz) echolocation in bats to very low frequency infrasound (<20 Hz) in elephants. In addition to that, the forest is considered a "silent zone," as any noise can disturb the wild animals. The Forest Department has warned about elephant movements on the bund of the Karandagaswewa reservoir and advised against staying on the bund of the tank, especially during the night.

Police Circular No. 2031\2007, issued by the Inspector General of Police, fully prohibits the use of sound producing equipment from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Accordingly, no permits will be issued for the use of loudspeakers and other instruments for the amplification of noise, during the period of 10:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m.

Where a permit is issued, a police officer should be designated and posted to ensure that the above mentioned conditions are adhered to. 
 
Animal rights activists said elephants in Minneriya have already lost their habitat due to the increased water level in the tank after releasing water from the Moragahakanda reservoir. It annihilated Asia's most famous elephant herd, which numbered around 350 elephants. Those elephants are now scattered in the area, and some are living in the forest area adjacent to the said festival ground. Hurulu Eco Park and this corridor are the only locations that provide a chance for tourists to see elephants in Habarana.

Any failure to monitor and maintain the law of this country will be strictly dealt with, and legal action will be taken against those who are responsible for such violations and failures. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarwickrama)

Pix by Kithsiri de Mel