Protecting the environment

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has called for the protection of the country's environment when implementing development programs. Speaking at a Progress Review meeting of the Irrigation and Water Management Ministry on Friday he told officials that environment protection should be given pride of place. This of course is in line with the President's policy of sustainable development which he has stressed time and again. For, any country can ignore its environment only at great cost to it. Many examples are there before us of the dire consequences of undermining of the natural environment.

The President is all too aware of the consequences that would ensue as a result of the callous treatment to our environment. Many countries particularly in the West have realized this only too late at great cost to their civilizations. Melting glaziers, frequent earth quakes, floods and other natural disasters tell a tale. The damage is so pervasive that it has affected even countries such as Sri Lanka. The phenomenon of global warming has been directly attributed to environmental degradation that has affected all nations.

Therefore ignoring the environment a country's development plans can only be to its peril. There is increasing evidence that Sri Lanka too is not showing enough concern to this vital factor. Already rapid urbanization, change of face in our hitherto unspoilt backwoods in the name of development and progress are having its impact on the environment. The erratic weather patterns, dwindling rainfall, dried up waterways have been the direct results of massive clearing of forest cover and vegetation to make way for development projects. The recent unprecedented floods even in areas that were not normally flood prone before, was also attributed to haphazard construction without considering environmental factors. The mass housing projects on what were once high yielding coconut plantations along the coastal belt of the North Western Province that were parcelled out by property developers also was a direct factor for the unprecedented floods in those areas.

With massive development projects slated for in the post war reconstruction there could well be a tendency to ignore environment concerns to ram through these projects. Hence the cautionary note by the President. As mentioned we are already experiencing some of consequences of environmental degradation. But what is shocking is the destruction that continues. It was recently discovered that squatters in the vicinity of our hydro reservoirs had been clearing large areas of forest cover affecting rainfall patterns.This led to Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to give them an ultimatum to vacate these areas.

But more than the ordinary folk it is our big wigs wielding authority who are guilty of environmental crimes.We are of course referring to the various hotels and mansions that are being coming up inside nature reserves and game parks in complete violation of the law. Who will give an ultimatum to such people?. Already there are reports about extinction of most of our endemic species due to such callous acts. The President should come down hard on such elements who cause such destruction to the environment. For it is the duty of our rulers to protect the environment so that the future generation could enjoy its bounties.

It is pointless having environment parks and seminars on environment if environmental destruction is carried out in the open by those in higher echelons. It could give a signal to the lesser mortals too to carry on with impunity. Government Ministers too should not be spared if they attempt to go against the law in this regard. It is no secret that prospective hoteliers and property developers canvass the support of Ministers to carry out their projects ignoring environmental regulations and guidelines. The President should read the riot act against such politicians.

While measures to stop environmental degradation should be implemented, steps should also be taken to stop environmental pollution. Today, most factories discharge their chemical waste and other poisonous effluent into rivers and waterways harming not only the aquatic life but also posing a danger to human beings. Here too such elements derive their power and immunity in most cases from the politicians to carry on with impunity. Although measures to control noise pollution were strictly enforced at the beginning, there is a slackness observed at present.Open air musical shows go on into the wee hours while places of religious worship still blare out at all hours.

Environmental protection cannot be overemphasized in the present context. Laws should be brought to make it a criminal act to despoil our environment. What is more, they should be implemented across the board whether it is the common man or the high and the mighty.