Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Deforestation destroying Sinharaja: Environmentalists
By Damitha Hemachandra
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
The heavy deforestation of Varanalgoda Proposed Forest Reserve (PFR), bordering the Sinharaja Forest is causing destruction to its buffer zone as well as the rich bio-diversity in the area.
According to the Society for the Protection of Environment (SPE), deforestation was caused mainly in the Banbarabotuwa, Wathurawa, and Pitakale areas out of the 1890 hectare proposed reserve.
Sajeewa Chamikara of SPE alleged that an owner of a private land within the PFR was using the permission granted by the Forest Department for timber to transport the timber he had illegally removed from state land.
"Deforestation in this 65 acre forest land has been going on during the past few years as checks by the Forest Department are infrequent," Mr. Chamikara said, adding that a 15 feet road had been constructed through the PFR.
Varanalgoda PFR is part of the Sinharaja Buffer Zone, including the Nelukatiya and Morapitiya proposed reserves and combined to make one system, where 74 butterfly species, 21 fish species of which 12 are endemic and 22 endemic bird species including the recently discovered Serendib Scope Owl have made it their habitat.
The forest system acts as a protection zone to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and the SPE pointed out that deforestation could harm the 11,527 hectares forest as well as the Sinharaja Reserve.
Meanwhile, heavy deforestation was claimed to be disturbing toddy tapping, a traditional employment of the villagers.
Villagers claim that the elephants used for transportation of timber within the forest reserve were devouring Kitul trees thus endangering their livelihood.
However Chief Forest Conservator Sarath Fernando said immediate steps would be taken to stop the illegal timber racket within the proposed forest reserve .
"We have raided the area in question temporarily, stopping the operations but they tend to restart," he said.
According to Mr. Fernando the illegal timber trade is affecting the low country wet zone forests, which contains the highest bio-diversity in the country
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
The heavy deforestation of Varanalgoda Proposed Forest Reserve (PFR), bordering the Sinharaja Forest is causing destruction to its buffer zone as well as the rich bio-diversity in the area.
According to the Society for the Protection of Environment (SPE), deforestation was caused mainly in the Banbarabotuwa, Wathurawa, and Pitakale areas out of the 1890 hectare proposed reserve.
Sajeewa Chamikara of SPE alleged that an owner of a private land within the PFR was using the permission granted by the Forest Department for timber to transport the timber he had illegally removed from state land.
"Deforestation in this 65 acre forest land has been going on during the past few years as checks by the Forest Department are infrequent," Mr. Chamikara said, adding that a 15 feet road had been constructed through the PFR.
Varanalgoda PFR is part of the Sinharaja Buffer Zone, including the Nelukatiya and Morapitiya proposed reserves and combined to make one system, where 74 butterfly species, 21 fish species of which 12 are endemic and 22 endemic bird species including the recently discovered Serendib Scope Owl have made it their habitat.
The forest system acts as a protection zone to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and the SPE pointed out that deforestation could harm the 11,527 hectares forest as well as the Sinharaja Reserve.
Meanwhile, heavy deforestation was claimed to be disturbing toddy tapping, a traditional employment of the villagers.
Villagers claim that the elephants used for transportation of timber within the forest reserve were devouring Kitul trees thus endangering their livelihood.
However Chief Forest Conservator Sarath Fernando said immediate steps would be taken to stop the illegal timber racket within the proposed forest reserve .
"We have raided the area in question temporarily, stopping the operations but they tend to restart," he said.
According to Mr. Fernando the illegal timber trade is affecting the low country wet zone forests, which contains the highest bio-diversity in the country
