I will protect trees and animals - Fowzie

by Florence Wickramage

Politicians are guilty of endangering the environment when they permit their supporters to commit environmentally unfriendly activities in exchange for their 'Manapa' votes, Environmental and Natural Resources Minister A. H. M. Fowzie said on Saturday.

Minister Fowzie last Saturday declared open the new Pattipola Entrance and Visitor Centre of the Horton Plains National Park built under the Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation Project of the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

As representatives of the people, politicians have a duty to protect the environment and not encourage illegal activities in Protected Areas and National Parks. "My trees and my animals have no Manape, no voice to protest. As such I will protect them at the risk of my life", Minister Fowzie said.

The Minister said that the intention of the Government is to enlist the support of the private sector to develop National Parks. But some people misreport such incidents stating that the Government was attempting to sell protected areas.

The Minister thanked the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation for volunteering to undertake the Clean-up Project of Horton Plains providing uniforms, caps etc to the workers of the Clean-up Project and said that he hoped other private sector companies would emulate their example.

Minister of Small and Rural Industries, and Small and Medium Enterprise Development C. B. Ratnayake, Director General DWLC Dayananda Kariyawasam, Park Warden A. H. Sumanasena and HSBC Executive Director David Griffith also spoke.