WATER RUNS DRY- Wekandawala Rahula Thera
WATER RUNS DRY
By Risidra Mendis Ceylon Today Features(2016,01,24)
Sri Lanka has always been famous for its beautiful and cascading waterfalls. For tourists and locals travelling to up country areas one of the most beautiful sights along the way is the beautiful waterfalls cascading down the mountains.
However, due to the rapid development and the vast clearing of forest land the water flow in some of these waterfalls has reduced drastically in recent times. While one waterfall ran dry due to development activities others are on the verge of running dry due to the large number of mini hydro power projects that are coming up in forest land.
The verbal decision taken by the government to build 108 mini hydro power projects in the country has resulted in environmentalists protesting over the serious threats posed to some of the popular waterfalls in the country.
The decision to start operations on 108 mini hydro power projects was initially taken by former Power and Energy Minister Pavithra Vanniarachchi. Vanniarachchi verbally said that these mini hydro power projects have to be built to generate more power to the country. Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka has now given verbal permission for the project developers to go ahead with these mini hydro power projects. Some project developers have now started clearing forests without conducting an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA),” Centre for Environmental and Nature Studies Wekandawala Rahula Thera said.
He added that the Kosgulana mini hydro power project in Sinharaja, the Laxapana mini hydro power project and the Eli Hatha mini hydro power project have already destroyed waterfalls and forest areas and that if the present government allows these mini hydro power projects to be implemented without an EIA it would cause massive destruction to the environment.
“Around 78 organizations are involved in trying to start these mini hydro power projects. According to the National Physical Plan, the government is trying to turn this country into a hydro power centre. The government has also approved many coal power plants illegally. The decision to build 108 mini hydro power projects close to flowing rivers, streams, waterways and in forest areas was taken by the former government and is now being supported by the present government. Some of the project developers have already started clearing forests without an EIA or an Initial Environment Assessment (IEA) to commence mini hydro power projects. The Laxapana and Saththa Kanya mini hydro power projects have commenced operations without EIAs,” Rahula Thera explained.
He added that plans are underway for more mini hydro power projects in areas such as Ampanagala, river Seethavaka, Karagaha tenna, Ella hena, Mahapoola, Ohiya, Maliboda, Pothupitiya, Sinharaja Enasallwatte, Maruten Ella, lower Kotmalle oya, Kukul oya, Batuwangala, Dambalu oya, Yastimahana, Siri Oya, Loggal oya, Batagolla, Moragaha, river Hulu, Bope Kanda, Ibban Oya, Alakogala, Ma oya, Meenagala Ela, Uma oya, Kataran oya, river Koswathu and Elamulla among others.
Some of the streams, waterfalls and areas rich in bio diversity will be affected by these mini hydro power projects. The implementing of these mini hydro power projects minus an EIA will result in the rivers, streams, waterfalls and waterways running dry. Water resources in the area will also run dry if these mini hydro power projects are implemented. A good example of the serious and harmful effects of the illegal mini hydro power projects that were allowed to proceed by the government are the areas near Randenigala and Rantambe. While these project developers are planning on building mini hydro power projects and selling power to the government, they have violated the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) and the National Environment Act (NEA). The CEA has taken no action against the culprits for violating the environment regulations,” Rahula Thera said.
He claims that blasting is already taking place in some of these areas and is causing grave damage to the environment. “The breeding habitat of fish is destroyed by the clearing in these areas. Some of these rivers and waterways have also changed their water flowing course due to the interference of the eco system. Animals living in these areas are prevented from drinking water from these rivers, streams and waterways. Some species also face the threat of extinction. Some of these rivers, streams and waterways, have being blocked in the middle by the project developers which has resulted in the heavy flow of water being reduced drastically and the oxygen levels dropping and the heat levels in the water increasing. The rain fall will be reduced as a result of these projects and will destroy the vegetation in these areas,” Rahula Thera said.
He added that hydro power projects have failed to generate enough power to the national grid, so how can these mini hydro power projects generate enough power for the country’s power supply? “In many foreign countries mini hydro power projects are not implemented. However, in Sri Lanka people and politicians are only interested in the money that is earned from these mini hydro power projects and not about the serious harm that is caused to the environment.
Water runs dry
Countries like Germany and Russia are doing away with nuclear power plants but these are being introduced in Sri Lanka. When there are other options like solar energy and wind power to generate electricity, the government is going ahead with approving these mini hydro power projects. The government is not interested in using solar energy and wind power to generate electricity in the country,” Rahula Thera said.
CEA Deputy Director General Gamini Jayasinghe speaking on behalf of CEA Chairman Prof Lal Dharmasiri said an EIA was done by the Kandy CEA Regional office prior to the commencement of the Laxapana mini hydro power project. An EIA was done for the Saththa Kanya mini hydro power project but due to a pending court case the project has come to a standstill.
However Rahula Thera told Ceylon Today that as far as he knows an EIA was not done for the Laxapana mini hydro power project.
According to Central Environmental Authority (CEA) officials the importance of the EIA as an effective tool for the purpose of integrating environmental considerations into development planning is highly recognized in Sri Lanka. “The EIA helps to identify the likely effects of a particular project on the environment, at an early stage. It also finds ways to reduce unacceptable impacts and to shape the project so that it suits the local environment. It helps officials make decisions about a project and helps the project proponent achieve his aims more successfully. The EIA can be considered as a major planning tool and one of the key techniques to achieve sustainable development,” CEA officials said.
They added that the EIA has also become a mandatory requirement for the establishment of development projects in Sri Lanka under the NEA. According to the requirements, the project proponent first has to find out whether the project proposal falls within the “prescribed project” list by verifying with the CEA. The CEA may provide the project proponent with a Basic Information Questionnaire (BIQ) to submit essential information of the project. If the project is a prescribed project requiring an EIA the CEA will then determine who the appropriate Project Approving Agency (PAA) will be for administering the EIA process.
The PAA will guide the project proponent in preparation of an EIA. If the project is located within the coastal zone, then the project proponent should contact the Director General, Coastal Conservation Department. If the project is located within one mile from the boundary of a National Reserve, the project proponent should contact the Director General of Wildlife Conservation. The project proponent should submit PAA information regarding the nature, location and impacts of a proposed project that requires an EIA. The best time for a project proponent to submit the preliminary information on the proposed project is as soon as the project concept is finalized and the location of the project is decided. It is the responsibility of the project proponent to prepare the EIA report and to submit it to the PAA for evaluation. Preparation of EIA reports may require the services of a team of consultants as many specialized areas have to be covered. A list of consulting firms who prepare EIA reports is available at the CEA. Project proponents may also use the services of suitably qualified consultants who may not have registered in the CEA. It is important to note that the project proponent should obtain the services of reliable and adequately qualified experts in the relevant fields, in order to ensure that the EIA reports will be of the required standards,” CEA officials said.
They added that public participation is an important aspect of the EIA process in Sri Lanka and that once an EIA report is submitted the NEA provides for public inspection and comment on the EIA report during a mandatory period of 30 days. “EIA reports are available for perusal by the public in Sinhala, Tamil and English. These reports are usually kept for public inspection in the CEA Headquarter Library, the relevant Divisional Secretariat Office and Pradeshiya Sabha. Any member of the public may send their comments to the Central Environmental Authority or the respective PAA within 30 working days. The PAA publishes notices in the National Newspapers inviting the public to inspect and comment on the EIA report within 30 days,” CEA officials explained
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