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| Wednesday, 5 November 2003 |
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by Florence Wickramage A tree planting campaign was launched at the Mahiyamgama Raja Maha Viharaya in the Dehiovita Divisional Secretarial Division under the patronage of Environment and Natural Resources Minister Rukman Senanayake recently to mark the National Tree Planting month. Minister Senanayake, addressing the participants on the occasion observed that waste matter that pollutes the environment gets mixed with water resources and creates grave drinking water problems and that it is the people who are responsible for this misdemeanour. Pilgrims to Kataragama throw garbage in to the Menik Ganga and it is the Kumbuk trees on the river banks and the sand in the river bed in the region of the Yala sanctuary that purifies the water so polluted. This is a natural process and if the people go on felling these trees for cultivation purposes just before the rainy season, soil erosion is the result. In the context of minimising the ill-effects of such natural harm that the tree planting process becomes important in order to save the environment for the future generation, stated the Minister. Minister Senanayake said that the Central Environment Authority, fighting many odds on its way renders a tremendous service to protect the environment but that alone would not suffice if the people are not cooperating unreservedly. "Environment has no colour. It cannot be saved if we are divided under various hues like blue, red or green. To protect the environment in the Ruwanwella Electorate, Environment Pilot Groups will be formed throughout the three korales," the Minister said. At this meeting Minister Rukman Senanayake presented ten Certificates of Agreement relating to the Nursery Plant Project for 2003-2004 implemented by the Rural Environment Committees, and allocated Rs. 5,26,000 by way of casual relief to 64 families who were affected by floods and storms in the Dehiovita Divisional Secretarial Division. Ven. Ambanwela Hemalankara Thera, the Viharadhipathy of Mahingala Raja Maha Viharaya, Dehiovita Divisional Secretary H. P. Kularatne, Dehiovita Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Ananda Kularatne and Vice Chairman Sextus Arsakularatna attended the occasion. |
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