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We need‘Yala Palanaya’ right now!

11 Aug 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

One cannot escape getting caught up in the election fever and the flurry of activities which have engulfed our little island these days.

Aggressive campaigning targets the voters in many forms, with many enticements and unrealistic promises. But deep in the south of our country, an entire community has been left voiceless and voteless. Their wellbeing and interest have been sacrificed at the altar of greed and selfishness.

Powerful mafias, political godfathers, bureaucracy and inefficiency, coupled with selfish interests, have triumphed over common sense solutions, sustainable outcomes, and the long term interests of these constituents and our society. The fact that they are the voiceless ones, who depend on others now for their broader prosperity, does not help make their future better either. With all the talk of good governance in the air, we certainly do need Yala Palanaya to trickle down to this area.

On a countdown towards disaster
Being someone who is in management, and a nature lover, this issue did capture my interests even though I am not a domain expert in this field. My reference in this case is to that wonderful patch of mother Lanka, which is fondly known as Yala, where the concept of ‘Palanaya’ or governance, seems to have been all but forgotten. Unless better Palanaya is extended to Yala, one of our last bastions of the wilds is certainly on a countdown towards disaster. Several examples are evident which simply beg for solutions.

Take the case of the mad rush to see any leopard or bear, who dares to bare some skin. At peak, Yala takes over close to three hundred vehicles into the park each day and the visitor numbers have been rising since the end of the conflict. Over five hundred vehicles have been registered for Safari’s from the area. Massive traffic jams are commonplace now and little thought goes out to the welfare of the animal and the stress they undergo. At the core of the issue, in addition to the sheer vehicle numbers lies mobile connectivity. Probably every single visitor to the park could say they have benefitted from someone telling someone about a sighting over the phone. While the thrill of a sighting certainly satisfies the casual visitor and enthusiast alike, the damage has far outweighed this as of a long time ago. Crowding, arguments, accidents, pathway damages, shockingly even people disembarking from their vehicles, and several instances of animals being killed by speeding vehicles, seem to be invisible to those who are entrusted with managing Yala. Little effort seems to be made by Rangers to patrol the park and punish any offenders either. The mafias probably keep them at bay. The fact that poorly trained drivers who have little passion for the wild, double up as Nature guides and take people around, compound the issues.

The recent (better late than never) few days trial to curtail mobile coverage for a short while each day was a welcoming step. But seriously, how much damage does one need to see, to make a firmer decision to limit mobile coverage. There are plenty of technological options to enable emergency calling while restricting regular calls, so the need to communicate under those circumstances is hardly an issue.

Animal welfare in India
I recently was in a wildlife park in India, where they took the notion of animal welfare much more seriously within their management of the Park. The Park was zoned out and visitors spread out over the different zones, to prevent overcrowding in specific areas (an easy win for Yala if implemented, coupled with a great focus on the alternative entrances available).

The park is only open for a limited duration each morning and evening, and vehicle entry numbers are limited. Entry Fees can vary by zones too. No mobile coverage to send messages and the drivers fear the strict banning of at least six months by the authorities, for any violation of park conditions.

Yala can easily vary its entry charges during peak hours and holiday seasons, increase the current fee for local visitors but keep the students and kids rates very affordable, and ensure that the added income is well spent. Currently with unlimited access to Yala, the balance of interests has shifted way too far towards the commercial needs and people’s appetite for seeing animals, at the expense of Animal welfare and conserving the hunting and behaviour patterns in the wild. We need to see strong governance, coupled with better Political will, and some tough decisions being made by those empowered to do so.

Need to improve conditions
One could also shift the focus onto the infrastructure and the economic model for Yala as well. Take the basic requirements like toilets. A few years ago a new set of toilets were constructed at the entrance, only to see things getting broken and run down within months. The simple reasons include the manner of usage and the monitoring and upkeep which seems somewhat neglected.

Mere construction of new buildings per se does not give us the desired sustainable outcome. Within the park, mankind is expected to operate on par with the wild should any biological need arise. No decent toilet facilities exist within the park (so a slinky sneak into the bush is required).

The notion of providing a toilet in the park was accepted long ago, since there was one constructed near the river. The aroma greets you long before you enter it and it takes a brave soul to step into those premises considering the run down dilapidated conditions. Yala rakes in too much money to make excuses, and needs to have better basic facilities with good overseeing. The Business model is also contentious. With most of the money going back to the central government, way too little gets ploughed back towards the benefit of the park which generates it? A very healthy chunk also goes towards the local authority, and while it is their cash cow, there is too little interest shown in protecting and developing the place. The main Roads, managed by the RDA, at times seem to be a ghost from the past when potholes and ruts were common place and Yala was seen as the back of beyond. A collective discussion needs to take place between wildlife management, the Treasury, the ministry, and the local authorities, with the objective of a larger revenue retention portion for Yala.
There is also good opportunity to retail and sell memorabilia and Yala branded clothing and the likes. The authorities could simply invite interested parties for a fee rather than do it themselves. A good food outlet just outside the park would probably be very viable too. Litter is a concern but thankfully not a major issue yet.

On the other hand, the litter trail left by the annual Pada Yathra when thousands of pilgrims walk through the park, is a disaster. Here again, greater awareness creation and detailing a paid mop up crew to follow the walk a few hours behind and collect litter immediately, can help prevent animals consuming plastic etc and paying the ultimate price.

Poaching still an issue
Poaching is still an issue, especially in the border areas of the park into which animals assume they have free access. Encroachment of squatters and small enterprises into the demarcated reserve areas is common place and spreading like a cancer.

Here again, the lack of funding to adequately monitor these challenges, and the lack of will, shown by authorities to take decisions to crack down on offenders, holds the key to the deterioration. A social pressure revolution to bring in Yala Palanaya seems the only hope to turn the tide. We have watched for too long on the sidelines. As with Sinharaja many decades ago, people power can sweep a new thinking into play which is way more committed towards the real issue at hand.

Balancing the interests of wildlife, protecting what is sacred and still accommodating the desires and keenness of thousands of people to experience wild Sri Lanka, can be done with proper thought and good execution. Whatever way the election goes, maximum pressure needs to be applied on wildlife authorities, officials who take on stewardship in future, local law enforcement authorities, and indeed through court action where warranted. The sands of time are slipping, but we are still far from being too late. I feel there is still hope.

(The writer is the CEO/MD of Textured Jersey Lanka PLC and a former Country Manager of Microsoft, and is actively engaged with several chambers, charities, academic and other organisations who further Sri Lanka’s development agenda).

Picture courtesy Chamara Amarasinghe

Columns

We need‘Yala Palanaya’ right now!

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