President halts large-scale land reclamation in Ja-Ela
January 5, 2017 06:20 pm
The Central Environmental Authority (CEA), under the direction of President Maithripala Sirisena, has taken speedy steps to halt the large-scale land reclamation being carried out illegally in two separate locations in Dandugama, Ja-Ela.
According to a complaint conveyed by the people in the area to the President on Tuesday (03), he instructed the Chairman of the CEA to investigate into the incident and to visit that place with the relevant parties.
Accordingly, the officials of the CEA and the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation & Development Corporation (SLLR&DC), together with the police officers of Ja-Ela Police, commenced investigations at the location. Under the directive of the President, the officials took actions to stop those unauthorized land mining.
Legal actions will be taken against the persons who carried out land reclamation in a large area of the land by damaging the mangroves (Kadolana) environment system in Muthurajawela.
The President had instructed the officials earlier as well to give the maximum punishment to those who engage in unauthorized land reclamation in a way to damage the environment and the bio diversity.
