Forest reserve in Medawachchiya vandalised by racketeers

Mahakongaskada Forest Reserve is a state forest that had been at the mercy of racketeers. Here a part of the forest is being cleared using heavy duty machinery

“Though the Divisional Secretary promised to prevent the clearing of the forest, it’s to no avail. Clearing of the forest and excavating trenches are going on unchecked, but the authorities are moribund inactive. They have allowed the racketeers a free hand”

- Ven. Ulukkulame Indrasara, Chief Incumbent of Mahakongaskada Temple 

• The forest reserve is being cleared with heavy duty machinery to build a private livestock farm
• More than 100 acre area of the forest reserve has already being cleared 

By Dayaratne Embogama

The forest reserve near Mahakongaskada temple in Thulana in the Anuradhapura district is yet another state forest that has been left to the mercy of the racketeers.

The forest reserve is being cleared with heavy duty machinery to build a private livestock farm and more than 100 acre area of the forest reserve has already being cleared. 

Residents of the area maintain that valuable forest trees including Ebony, Teak, Halmilla, and Satinwood have been felled and removed.

Chief Incumbent of Mahakongaskada Temple Ven. Ulukkulame Indrasara confirmed that a vast area of the forest reserve has been cleared and valuable trees were cut and removed. He said that the Forest Department and the Wildlife Conservation Department are not aware whether the racketeers have obtained a permit to fell trees. 

“Mahakongaskada Forest Reserve is the only state forest that had been spared, but now it is at the mercy of the racketeers. It is the abode of wild elephants and other wild animals. A herd of elephants raided Thammanakulama village a couple of days before”

“The racketeers are now digging up trenches to protect the livestock farm from wild elephants. They claim that they have received a permit to clear the forest and to carry out excavation of trenches to prevent the roaming of elephants.  However officers of the Wildlife Conservation Department, the Forest Conservators and the Agrarian Service officials are not aware of it. They said that the Divisional Secretary has issued a permit, but the Divisional Secretary is silent when inquired about it. We requested them to show the permit if any, but they refused to show it. It is a clear indication that they are illegally clearing the forest reserve. Though the Divisional Secretary promised to prevent the clearing of the forest, it’s to no avail. Clearing of the forest and excavating trenches are going on unchecked, but the authorities are moribund inactive. They have allowed the racketeers a free hand.

“The Mahakongaskada area had been under the terrorist threat during the civil war. Several families were hacked to death and the people began to abandon their property in the area. It was with great difficulty that we resettled them in this village. The Ethawetunawewa tank is in close proximity to Mahakongaswewa Forest Reserve. Two canals feeding the tank have been filled. The water resources that feed the tank would be polluted with offal and other animal waste if a livestock farm was located in the forest reserve. A large population in several villages use the tank for drinking water and irrigation facilities.  The racketeers or the authorities who allowed the clearing of the forest reserve for a livestock farm have not focused attention on its environmental effects or the human elephant conflict. More than 800 people depend on the milk industry while the forest reserve is a grazing ground for their cattle,” the priest said.  

Meanwhile Medawachchiya Divisional Secretary Kasun Seneviratne said that he had given an order to suspend the clearing of forest until a further decision is taken. 

When this scribe contacted Anuradhapura District Secretary Ranjith Wimalasuriya in this regard, he made inquiries from the Divisional Secretary whose reply was the same given to this newspaper.

However, the residents of the area pointed out that the clearing of the forest and digging up trenches with heavy duty machinery and equipment is going on unchecked as before. They said that the local politicians are involved in this land grab.  

A vast area of the forest reserve has been cleared and valuable trees were cut and removed

Racketeers claim that they have received a permit to clear the forest and dig trenches