Dr. Sudath Gunasekara

Part 1

I would like to draw the immediate attention of all-patriotic citizens of this country particularly living in the downhill areas of these Tea plantations and on the lowland areas below the hills that will be affected by earth slips in the hill country and flood in the downstream area that will recur as these hanging houses on these unstable and exposed hills will give way one day,( definitely in the near future) burying them en-masse leading to unprecedented natural disasters not only for the occupants of these pigeon holes but also to all those who live in the downstream areas right round the hill country up to the sea, for no fault of theirs’s.  Finally, one day it will lead to the complete extinction of all forms of life, both fauna and flora, in this Island due to lack of water and ending up all living forms on this land and finally the curtain will fall on human civilization on this land. Readers of this article should not dismiss this prediction as mere fantasy. It will definitely happen if all Sri Lankan patriotic people don’t get together as one family immediately to stop this wanton destruction done to the entire hill country, jointly by the government, Tamil politicians representing the plantation sector, the Indian government and international agencies and anti -Sri Lankan NGOO.

The loss of physical stability of the central hill country can occur due to the loss of one or a combination of the following factors.

1 Loss of the forest cover due to continuous deforestation

2 land degradation taking place thereafter due to heavy erosion and exposing land to elements of weather

3 disturbances to land due to construction of building either for residence purpose or any other either for residence or industrial or other purposes.

4 constructions of roads and railways lines or any other activity that exposes the earth to the elements of weather

5 Unexpected Tectonic movements

5 Bad land use by the millions of Indian Tamil labor settled all over the hill country on land even going up to 8ooo ft msl.

Therefore I call upon all concerned parties including the government, the patriotic masses and intellectuals who love this country to take immediate action to stop this criminal devastation and take  steps to protect the physical stability of the central highland of this country above 1000 ft msl, which I have named as the HADABIMA of this country, as it functions as the heart of the body Sri Lanka that determines and dictates the survival of the entire life system of this Island by providing the main source for all the rivers in the Island,  that keep the entire life system alive.

Furthermore it is also the sacred land the gods have bestowed on this island nation of the Sinhalese that was blessed thrice by the Lord Buddha as the land where his sublime Dhamma will be preserved for 5000 years to come and also as the country blessed with  the sacred mountain Samanala kanda, sanctified by the Buddha’s sacred foot  print on the top of which, the first ancestor of Man, Adam is also supposed to have   placed his foot, as the legend has it, making it a sacred land for all the three religions in this world and further making it a sacred land for humanity the world over. As such it is the bounden duty not only of all Sri Lankas but also of all devotees of all three main religions the world over to protect it together with the whole hill country, the Geographical HEARTLAND” of this blessed land.

Therefore ,I also call upon the NBRO the main Organization responsible for all programmes to assist a disaster-free built environment in the future in this country , to  take  up this issue immediately with the sleeping government that does not take any action against this type of disastrous  and devastative actions  done by these Tamil politicians , the Indian government and some International agencies who are playing havoc, as it considers the estate Tamil vote is even more important and valuable than the destiny the country and its people whose sovereignty and welfare they have vouched to protect

Pl see the following news item issued by the (NBRO), that should act as The Guardian God of the central hill country  who take care of its physical stability.

Sri Lanka’s Central Hills at risk: One-fifth of land prone to landslides

28 October 2023 06:31 am – 5     – 832 A news item Daily Mirror.

One–fifth of Sri Lanka’s total landmass, particularly the areas in the central hills- is prone to landslides according to a study by the National Building Research Organization (NBRO).

According to the NBRO study, around 13,000 square kilometers of lands spread over in Badulla, Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Matale, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Hambantota- are landslide –prone.

The study has found that incidences and frequency of landslides are growing, and it is common to have such disasters after every rain.

The major causes for the increase in the frequency of landslides are un-planned land use practices and unplanned intensive cultivation, ever increasing non- engineered constructions, construction blocking the waterways, construction in the reservation area of water bodies, deforestation and human intervention.

Another study done Professor in Earth Resources Engineering University of Moratuwa and President of Institute of Geology Sri Lanka Prof. Ranjith Premasiri, major landslides which occurred during the past two decades have claimed thousands of lives, about 175,000 people have been rendered homeless. Besides, damages in multi-millions have been caused to property.

He says Sri Lanka can be divided in to three main climatic zones on the basis of annual rainfall- wet zone (over 3000mm annual rainfall), intermediate zone (2000 to 3000mm), and dry zone (less than 2000mm).

Landslides are very often triggered by continuous rainfall characterized by showers of high intensity that occur for short periods of time. Central hilly area of Sri Lanka experiences rain from two monsoons, North-East and South-West,” he said.

Sudden opening and progressive widening of cracks on sloped surfaces or on the walls of building are signs of landslides. (Kelum Bandara)

My comments Dr Sudath Gunasekara

3.12.2023

It is in this gloomy backdrop one has to take extremely serious notice of the ongoing largescale, unplanned and uncontrolled political housing construction activities, by The Ministry of Upcountry New Tamil Villages, Estate Infrastructure & Community Development, that is going on in the above-mentioned 10 districts exclusively for the estate Tamil labour force of Indian origin. It is reported that the construction of 14,000 houses all over the hill country and it’s adjoining areas is funded by the Indian government for the benefit of nearly 1. million living on the central hills ( which allready they call Malayaha) in the plantation sector is nearing completion. (902,000 persons in 2012).

The following housing project in Bogawantalava completed under Indian funding in 2019 clearly shows the wanton destruction and irreparable damage already done to the fragile landscape in the hill country by this type of housing projects coming up all over the hill country and   its neighboring hilly areas extending to 10 districts.

V.K. Vellayan Puram” Housing Scheme Bogawantalawa  from www.smehci.gov.lk

State Ministry of Estate Housing and Community Infrastructure

http://www.smehci.gov.lk › Uncategorized Feb 24, 2019 — Under the Indian government funds, V.K. Vellayan Puram Housing Scheme with the 155 houses constructed at Bidwell Estate in Bogawantalawa. Elevation above sea level. It is at 1514 m =approximately 4600 ft msl.

This is only one out of hundreds of such haphazardly constructed housing schemas all over the 10 districts mentioned above covering around 13,000 square kilometers (1/5th the area of the country)

 Government official like GAA have no control over these housing projects

When I made inquiries from the GA Nuwara Eliya and the Divisional secretaries they said they were never consulted and they had no say or any authority what so ever on the construction of this type of houses within their divisions. Apparently, they were invited to attend the ceremonies only. Only, later I came to know that all land powers that were formally under the GAA had been transferred to Div Sects by Act. no 58 of 1992 during the Premadasa time. But regarding the construction of these houses in the plantation   areas, I am informed that it is The Ministry of Upcountry New Villages, Estate Infrastructure & Community Development and the local Tamil politicians who organize these housing projects in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Colombo. Starting from the selection of lands, planning and constructions of buildings and roads and the selection and handing over the houses to the recipients are done under the supervision of the same Ministry.

As it is the government of the country or its administration and the Minister of Lands has no say what so ever in the whole process. Technical advice of agencies like the NBOR is never sought. It so happens that the officials like the GA and divisional Secretaries are invited only for the opening functions. As such it appears as if the government officials like the GA and the Div Secs now have no control over these unplanned and haphazard constructions which have already posed a big threat not only to the physical stability of around 13,000 square kilometers of lands spread over in Badulla, Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Matale, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kalutara, Galle, Matara and Hambantota-that is almost 1/5th the area of the whole country as stated by the NBRO as landslide –prone areas. What is even more dangerous is the complete collapse of the subject of   land administration by the government that covers ten administrative areas in the south, as if it has been already handed over to the Indian Government. In sum for an outside observer, it appears as if this area is already run as a legitimate part of the Indian subcontinent by the Ministry of Upcountry New Villages, Estate Infrastructure & Community Development that comes under the government of Sri Lanka on behalf of the Indian Government. 

Isn’t it a shame for the Government of Sri Lanka, if there is one, and for all political parties at home, to keep deaf dumb and blind over this irreparable and irreversible devastation being done to mother Lanka by a group of British Indian labourers who were brought in the late 19th century and left behind destitute when they left the Island din 1948.  for the shake of a dangling goats testicle called the vote” that will never fall in to their plate, as the parable says.

 It is high time that all patriotic citizens of this country wakeup up immediately from their death slumber, as one nation to stop this all-time disaster that is going to befall on the entire life system and the civilization to this country within few decades. The devastation that will follow this hazardous and unscientific construction activities will be million times more destructive than what the British did by removing the forest which was subsequently covered with a carpet of tea bushes that protected the earth to some extent. The degree of devastation then was less as the construction were limited to few factories residential Bungalows for the management of communal line rooms on selected places. The degree e of disturbance done to the physical stability under the present system is thousand time greater. The earlier system was reversible. But not the present system. What is more is the then labourers had no permanent interest as they knew that one day they will go back to their motherland. Today the situation is very much different as they not only have permanent interest to stay but they also dream to make this their permanent homeland and finally make it a Malayanadu, a part of India. sponsored by the expansionist Indian Government.

The subject of land administration in the whole country has to be brought under the central Government Immediately

The effect on land administration in the whole country has to be assessed in this backdrop very seriously with no delay as the government has already lost land administration powers in the Northern and Eastern Provinces long time ago, especially after the implementation of Act no 58 of 1992 and the PA circular 21/92.

Beside this there is also a far more serious threat of life in the downstream area right round the hill country due to continuous floods devastating these areas as frequent earth slips and floods occurring in this area due to the collapse of the physical stability of the central hill country. There is a third danger of all the103 rivers that have their sources on the hills running dry in the long run due to the loss of the physical stability of the central hill country, which I have identified as the geographical heart land (The HADABIMA) of Sri Lanka in 1991 whose physical stability determine and dictate the survival of the entire life system in this country and therefore the civilization of this island as well. The degree of land degradation and the rate of deforestation and the drying up of river flow and the underground water deposits that keep the rivers perennial is alarming and beyond imagination.