Stop land abuse

The recent unprecedented floods that deluged vast swaths of terrain in the city and suburbs hopefully would have brought home the grim reality to the authorities of the dangerous consequences of indiscriminate land filling now being carried out at a rapid pace. Of graver concern no doubt is the fact that hitherto flood free zones too went under water this time and the situation could only get worse in the near future with the increase in the demand for land for development activities.

It is in this context that the views expressed by Western Province Environment Minister Udaya Gammanpila should be heeded by all concerned especially those in authority if the country is to be spared the nightmare of recurring floods every time there is even a mild downpour.

He said the entire Western Province got inundated during the heavy showers last month as the water retention areas had disappeared. He also pointed out the laid back attitude of the authorities to the problem. "When vast areas of land are inundated we try to find a solution and after a few weeks after the rains cease we forget about it."

Today travelling around the city one could not fail to see the profusion of buildings that are coming up in recently cleared land. This is continuing on a large scale raising the spectre of more flood damage in the future.

True, we cannot be left behind in progress. But there is no gainsaying the fact that everything needs to be carefully planned out. There has to be proper evaluation and the pros and cons weighed before any land is being reclaimed for construction especially the risk this entails vis a vis flooding. At present land filling is being done indiscriminately and we saw the consequence of this many times.

Today most of the expressways that are being built cut across vast areas of marshland cleared for the purpose. This is especially seen in the Gampaha District that was one of the areas worst hit by the recent floods. This is a dangerous trend that could even have a negative impact on development since the public would not be able to savour the fruits of progress when they continue to be marooned and displaced by recurring floods. This factor should be taken into consideration by the Government and careful assessment made before plunging head on in development projects ignoring environmental factors.

Already environmental degradation has caused immense damage to our eco-system, with unseasonal rains and prolonged droughts the norm. To add to this, there is now mass scale land filling and sand mining that is being carried out on a large scale bringing the country to the brink of an environmental disaster. If this trend is not arrested in time there is nothing to prevent Sri Lanka earning the notoriety of a flood risk country such as Bangladesh that could even drive away the investors.

The country only recently witnessed how our august House of Parliament went under several feet of water during the recent deluge. This is nothing to be surprised at since the majority cases of illegal land filling is reportedly being carried out in the Kotte, Battaramulla area and turned into prime property that could be sold for enormous profits. This is seen by the large number of high-rise tenements and condominium buildings that have almost mushroomed in this area.

The Government cannot be complacent over the looming threat. No amount of success in the development sphere would be to the country's benefit if it is always prone to man made disasters such as the recent deluge, clearly caused by indiscriminate land filling. It has to forthwith put a halt to this practice. It is common knowledge that ruling party politicians are the culprits in most cases of illegal land filling. The President should read the riot act to them.

President Rajapaksa has often underlined the importance of sustainable development. Therefore, whatever development projects that are being planned should be executed in such manner that would not impact adversely on the environment. Today not only land filling, there is massive destruction of forest cover as population growth and development demands take a heavy toll on our natural environment. Further, large marshy tracts such as Muthurajawela a bio-diversity marvel and a natural watershed is also gradually being parcelled out for disposal, a move that could pose a grave flood risk swallowing up whole districts.

Stringent laws should be introduced to deal with those engaged in illegal land filling. A moratorium should be imposed on letting out land for building purposes in the city until a proper evaluation is made as to the environmental aspect especially in view of frequent flooding. Today one comes across banners all over announcing the sale of land plots. These are mostly private property a majority of them, estates parcelled out for sale. The consequence of such indiscriminate land sales too is a contributory factor for the unprecedented floods witnessed in recent times especially in the coastal areas which were spared from floods all these years.

Steps should therefore be taken to control such land abuse in the national interest.