Deyata Sevana, an investment for country's posterity

The Deyata Sevana National Tree-Planting Programme can be identified as an investment project implemented for the posterity of the country, Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said in a release yesterday.

The Deyata Sevana National Tree-Planting Programme will be implemented, this year, too, with the participation of all ministries of the central government, departments, corporations, boards,Provincial Councils, Local Government bodies, District and Divisional administration bodies.

Arrangements are being made to conduct the Deyata Sevana National Tree-Planting Programme national ceremony on November 15 to synchronize with the task of converting a 19-hectare land from which pines cultivation has been removed into a forest garden.

The land is situated at Welikanda area in the Hataraliyedda Divisional Secretariat Division in the Kandy District and belongs to the Forest Conservation Department.

The release adds : The "Deyata Sevana National Tree-Planting Programme" was inaugurated on November 15, 2010 as a national programme to plant 1.1 million trees to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa's 65th birthday and his second ascension to office as President. Due to the success of the programme implemented in 2010, Cabinet Memorandum No 11/1766/527/019 dated September 7, 2011 was submitted to the Cabinet proposing that the programme should be continued as an annual event from year 2011. The Cabinet, at its meeting held on September 14, 2011, granted approval for it.

"The Deyata Sevana National Tree-Planting Programme" is one which brings multiple benefits. It can make a considerable contribution towards increasing Sri Lanka's forest cover from 29 percent to 35 percent as aspired in the "Mahinda Chintana Vision for the Future."

Similarly, the planting of trees in water shed areas can help strengthen the process of supplying water necessary for agriculture, increase the hydroelectricity contribution to the National Grid, fulfill timber needs and work as a soil conservation strategy.

The programme's contribution towards the conservation of Sri Lanka's biological resources and bio-diversity and resolving environmental problems such as climatic changes, soil degradation and drought is immense.

Similarly, the Ministry has made arrangements to inculcate this programme into its annual plans to implement it as a single project to be spread over a period of five years from 2013 to 2017.

The project report prepared in this regard has been submitted to the National Planning Department.

In order for the successful implementation of the Deyata Sevana National Tree-Planting Programme,which is of national importance, I seek the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers.

i. to get the maximum contribution from all Ministries of the central government, Departments, corporations, boards as well as Provincial Councils and local authority councils and the District Secretariats and Divisional Secretariat and issue instructions through a circular to all government institutions with the concurrence of the Public Administration Ministry.

ii. to allocate a sum of Rs 94.66 million to implement the project from year 2013 to year 2017 according to the project report prepared pertaining to the programme.

iii. to include that amount in the Budget document in installments in each year as follows:

iv. to channel the necessary funds to the Department of Forest Conservation out of the allocations mentioned in 'iii' above in order to obtain the saplings necessary for the programme;

v. to make the necessary adjustments in the allocations of this Ministry and its institutions for 2012 for implementing the programme in year 2012.