Licence opposed

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Foundation Ltd (EFL) of Sri Lanka has threatened the country's Central Environment Authority (CEA) with legal action for becoming an "advocate for industrialists" by granting "illusory legitimacy" to a metal quarry in Nittambuwa. EFL says CEA issued the quarry an environmental protection licence, ignoring the protests of the affected community.

Hotel construction flayed

A CONSORTIUM of organisations and individuals is opposing the construction of a hotel in the catchment area of the Kandalama reservoir in Sri Lanka. The consortium is worried the drawing of groundwater for the hotel's needs will affect the tank's water-level.

Road to disaster

ECOLOGISTS have opposed the proposed 31-km Colombo-Katunayake expressway, writes Mallika Wanigasundara in a Panos report. They claim it will dislocate approximately 2,500 families, affect the livelihood of 2,000 fisherfolk and destroy about 35 ha of biologically rich marshland. The environmentalists contend the flood problem will be aggravated as the expressway will cross two flood plains, preventing rainwater from flowing into the flood basins.

Polluted lagoon

THE LUNAWA lagoon in southwest Sri Lanka is being polluted by various dyes and toxic chemicals being discharged by industries, especially textile plants, writes Tinil Fernando for Biosphere. The livelihood of many people have been affected and 74 per cent of the fisherfolk of the region had to give up their occupation because of declining fish catches. Besides, 30 per cent of the population has stopped using well water because it has been contaminated by the effluents.

Power plant resurrected

IGNORING vehement protests by environmentalists, the Sri Lankan government has decided to go ahead with construction of a coal-fired thermal power plant in Trincomalee, on the island republic's eastern seaboard. Ecologists have been objecting to the project ever since it was first proposed in 1987 by the Ceylon Electricity Board. Their opposition had caused it to be shelved twice, but supporters of the plant managed to get the project resurrected.

No danger for dolphins

SRI LANKA'S National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) has said there is no need to impose a total ban on dolphin catches, reports Mallika Wanigasundara. A NARA study shows that such a ban would endanger the livelihood of the country's fisherfolk. While admitting that accurate information on the size of the dolphin population is not available, the study says that the numbers landed are so small, dolphins are in no danger. NARA, however, advises continuous monitoring of dolphins and urges further studies to establish stock size.

The last sparkle

One of the last environmental actions of recently assassinated Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa was to block a private company's attempts to initiate mechanised gem mining in the Kalu Ganga riverbed south of Colombo. Responding to a representation from the local member of Parliament, Premadasa instructed the Central environment authority to appoint a multi-disciplinary committee to carry out the mandatory environment impact assessment (EIA) of the gem mining project.

Jurisdictional ruling angers environmentalists

ENVIRONMENTALISTS and civil rights lawyers strongly oppose the Sri iLankan government's move to shift jurisdiction of all cases involving projects approved by, the Board of Investments (BOI) from district courts to the court of appeal in Colombo. This means that a person may no longer petition a district court for an injunction to restrain the developer of a development project that could harm the environment.

Dolphin kills may provoke US ban

A SRI LANKAN research team has dismissed as "biased" and "rushed" a UN study that claims the country is among the world's top five dolphin- catchers. The release of the team's report this month is keenly awaited by Colombo, which fears that if Sri Lanka continu6s to be identified with a high kill figure, the US may attempt to ban its fish exports. Its worries have been heightened by proposed US legislation that would authorise the commerce secretary to place US observers on any