The Gampaha Additional Magistrate has issued an order to immediately provide security to the area where the much-disputed Crudia zeylanica tree, which was uprooted to proceed with the construction of the Central Expressway, is said to have been buried.
Furthermore, the order issued by the magistrate has also called for a statement regarding the location where the relevant plant was buried, to be made before the court by next Monday (July 24).
The Gampaha Divisional Forest Office had previously reported the facts to the court through a ‘B’ Report that the endemic tree in question had been uprooted and removed.
However on Friday (21), the officials of the Gampaha Divisional Forest Office had once again appeared before the court, according to a motion filed before the court.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena has explained that the decision to remove the Crudia zeylanica tree, which was located in the area of Daraluwa in Gampaha, was a policy decision taken by the government after he made a request in this regard, in his capacity as the Minister of Transport.
He further explained that the uprooting of the endemic tree in order to continue construction of the Central Expressway was not, in fact, as harmful as certain parties portrayed it to be.
