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| Saturday, 16 October 2004 |
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President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga yesterday stressed the need to conserve existing natural resources and implementing new tree planting projects, a press release from the President's Office said. Addressing the National Tree Planting Day ceremony at the President's House, she said it is a tragedy that Sri Lankans who have inherited natural resources more than any other people in the world attach scant significance to natural resources. On the President's initiative, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources declared October 15 as the National Tree Planting day and the month following, the month of National Tree Planting. Accordingly, the Ministry commenced a tree planting campaign to plant one million trees islandwide during one month following October 15. Participation of schoolchildren is a special feature in this event. The country has an extent of 1.5 million hectares of natural forests while the extent of reforested area is approximately 200,000 hectares. The forest area which was 70 per cent in 1900 dwindled to 22 per cent now. Sri Lanka has gone down in international records as one of the countries destroying forest resources on large scale. Large scale business tycoons are mainly responsible for illegal activities involving massive environmental harm, the President said. She said all religious leaders including the Buddha advocated the merits of protecting life including fauna and flora. She called upon all religious and academic institutions and state and non-governmental organisations to cooperate to implement these projects. She praised Environment and Natural Resources Ministry officials for their enthusiasm in activities connected with their ministry. The President distributed environment friendly school bags among schoolchildren. Environment and Natural Resources Minister A. H. M. Fowzie and senior Ministry officials also spoke. Religious dignitaries representing different faiths, Ven. Dr. Velamitiyawe Kusaladhamma Thera, Hindu Affairs Minister Douglas Devananda, Western Province Minister Hector Bethmage and Ministry Secretary D. Dissanayake also participated. |
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