Over 150 acres of Udawalawa forest illegally cleared - ‘Rotti Chaminda’ arrested

Forest conservation officers who had ignored the illegal clearing of the forest reserve which had been going on unchecked for weeks and until the suspects destroyed more than 150 acres

By Dilip Jayasekara 

The main suspect popularly known as “ Rotti Chaminda” and two others wanted in connection with illegal clearing an area of more than 150 acres of the Udawalawa protected forest reserve were arrested by the Forest Conservation Department yesterday.   

The main suspect was a resident of Bodagama in Thanamalwila and the others his men from Meegaswewa area. Residents of the area said the forest conservation officers who had ignored the illegal clearing of the forest reserve which had been going on unchecked for weeks and until the suspects destroyed more than 150 acres causing extensive environmental damage initiated action consequent to the media exposure of the racket.   

Forest conservation officers from Thanamalwila area and chairman of Thanamalwila Pradeshiiya Sabha Chandana Chandi Kumara with the help of a police team under HQI Thanamalwila police D.M.P.Bandara.