Theberton Mini Hydro Power Plant Destroy Laxapan water fall

I am writing to express my opposition and concerns about the proposed Theberton Mini Hydro Power Plant (Sapthakaanya Mini Hydro Company) for the Maskelyia River, directly above the Laksapana Waterfall. This development is one of many existing and proposed hydropower projects that are destroying the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary and ultimately, the Kelani River.
I am an environmental specialist from Australia, and have undertaken water quality and biodiversity studies along the river, from its source at Adam’s Peak to where it meets the ocean in Colombo. We have found severe impacts upon water quality downstream of existing hydropower developments and massive depletion in the abundance of aquatic life.
Conservation Significance of the proposed development area

The Maskelyia River is of extreme environmental, cultural, economic, spiritual, social and ecotourism value, and is located within the UNESCO World Heritage Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, which is listed for its internationally significant cultural and natural values. The area contains abundant biodiversity, including many rare and endemic species. The Maskelyia river is a tributary of the Kelani River, which supplies 80% of the water for Colombo and supports the livelihoods and food source for millions of people.
The Maskelyia River and Laksapana Falls is a source of water, a bathing place, recreational area, and a place of enormous spiritual value for hundreds of locals, thousands of people from surrounding villages, and hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan and International pilgrims. Laksapana Falls is a national icon of Sri Lanka, and is used widely for eco-tourism activities.

Impacts of proposed development
The proposed development will result in drying of a long section of the Maskelyia River, resulting in ecological devastation, and loss of many rare and endemic species (e.g. birds, dragonflies, mosses). Drying of the river will also produce a breeding ground for mosquitoes, resulting in an increased risk of dengue and malaria. The loss of the Maskelyia River will have devastating cultural, social and economic impacts on the local people, downstream population, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims. Rock blasting to develop the proposed mini hydro plant will cause erosion and potential slope instability, which could drastically affect houses upslope.

Deceit, lies, bribery and corruption
The local population of Theberton Estate (150 families), and nearby towns of Pathana and Norton Bridge strongly oppose this development. Locals have informed me about bribes that they were offered by officers from Sapthakaanya Mini Hydro Company. This builds on a long history of corruption and lies by the company. The company also state that no one is living in the area, however there are hundreds of families living within a short distance of the proposed development. The company have not surveyed the local environment (biodiversity studies), and have not addressed the environmental and socio-economic impacts of this development. This is required as part of an Environmental Impact Report under the National Environment Act No. 47 (1980).
The flow rate stated by the company was measured on a rainy day in the wet season, and does not take into account that the river has very low flow for over 8 months of the year, thus I believe the proposed 1.3 MW capacity is a gross overestimation. These concerns are in accordance with the Sapthakaanya Company’s development of the Norton Bridge Mini Hydro Project, which was stated to have a capacity of 1.6MW, but only produces on average around 300 kW.
I also strongly believe this project to be an investment scam, since the small amount of electricity that will be produced by this project cannot re-pay the capital cost of investment.

Patrick Kirkby