Protest against land grab at Knuckles Mountain; Minister denies allegations

Members of the ‘Protect Sri Lanka’ national movement staged a protest march from near the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo yesterday against alleged illegal land grab in the Knuckles Mountain or ‘Dumbara Range’.

Following the march across the city of Colombo, the ‘Hadabima Surakina Jathika Satana’ environmental conference was held at the Viharamahadevi open air theater, which coincided with World Environment Day which fell yesterday.

Environmentalist and Environmental Conservation Trust Director Sajeewa Chamikara, speaking at the event, said that this is not a movement limited to protecting only the Knuckles Mountain Range.

“This problem is also expected crop up in the future at the land belonging to the Land Reform Commission located around the the Sinharaja, Sri Pada, Kanneliya, Nakiyadeniya forest reserves,” he said. 

Chairman of the movement, Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Sagara Thero, stated that Minister Duminda Silva had contacted him for a meeting to discuss and find a solution to the Dumbara Range issue. 

The Thero said that the solution is not the distribution of the lands and that they will only accept the protection of the forest system including Dumbara the way it is. 

Meanwhile speaking at a press conference yesterday (5), Minister Kabir Hashim denied allegations that he was involved in giving acres of land in the Knuckles reserve to several close associates.

The minister said that allegations were baseless and that the government has taken no such decision. 

He also denied that any Gazette notification has been issued with regard to the allocation of those lands.