Archives

Crackdown on violators of environmental safeguards

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

The Government is to come down hard on individuals and organisations responsible for contributing to environmental and natural disasters in the country.

"The Government is not going to be soft on encroachers of sensitive watersheds or those blocking micro waterways around urban centres which contribute to flash floods," Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya said.

Minister Jayasuriya's comments came in the wake of massive human- led environmental degradation resulting in the escalation of natural disasters with the recent floods which devastated five districts.

Minister Jayasuriya said that dealing firmly with those responsible for harmful practices appropriately in the short term would help the Government to revisit the policies that contribute towards natural disasters and to make the required adjustments.

While stressing that isolated approaches to natural disaster management can expose the vulnerable areas to similar disasters in the future too, the Minister said: "We learn from international experience that natural disaster planning has to get integrated into the development exercise."

Minister Jayasuriya made these remarks addressing an experts' meeting on Disaster Vulnerability and Sustainable Environment Management Policies on Monday.

Expertise represented in the seven sub committees serving the main committee on disaster management had given an indication of varied disciplines that need to be consulted to formulate a long term plan and strategy to deal with natural diasters.

"I am confident that the collective effort of these experts will offer me good guidance to manage natural diasters in a meaningful way," he added. Minister Jayasuriya stressed that they should be alert to harmful practices and interventions that trigger off natural diasters.

"Do the people indulge in these practices out of absence of social responsibility or are they driven by sheer circumstances ? Could there by certain underlying causes and economic imperatives ?" he asked.

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager