PARLIAMENT

Agreement between respective parties were arrived at to eliminate the obstacles that have existed so far regarding the construction of the Kerawalapitiya-Nugape 33,000-kilowatt power line, which was initiated in 2019 and is yet to be completed.

An agreement on the said was reached when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Sustainable Development met in Parliament recently (April 18) under the chairmanship of Hon. Ajith Mannapperuma, Member of Parliament.

The Ministry of Housing, Construction and Culture Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Power and Energy, Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, Land Development Corporation, Electricity Board, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Central Environment Authority, Wattala Divisional Secretariat and Muthurajawela Conservation Association and members representing various environmental organizations were present at this Committee meeting held.

There was a discussion at length with the relevant parties regarding the issues that have arisen in obtaining the environmental permission for the Kerawalapitiya-Nugape 33000-kilowatt power line to be built above the Muthurajawela Wetland. It was mentioned that although a gazette notification was issued in accordance with the decision of the Cabinet to carry out the construction work, due to the objection of a government agency, it was difficult to continue the said work. According to the discussion held in the Committee, it was possible to reach an agreement among all the parties concerned and accordingly, the committee gave instructions to the parties who wanted to construct the Kerawalapitiya-Nugape 33,000-kilowatt power line by removing the existing obstacles.

Moreover, it was agreed to consider the request made by the environmental organizations to conduct the activities of 8 industries in this environmentally friendly area in an environmentally friendly manner in a future committee meeting.