{"id":109631,"date":"2020-12-11T15:49:09","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T22:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=109631"},"modified":"2020-12-11T15:49:09","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T22:49:09","slug":"aloe-vera-cultivation-project-critical-need-for-a-comprehensive-and-sustainable-land-management-policy-reinforced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/12\/11\/aloe-vera-cultivation-project-critical-need-for-a-comprehensive-and-sustainable-land-management-policy-reinforced\/","title":{"rendered":"Aloe Vera cultivation project; Critical need for a comprehensive and sustainable land management policy reinforced"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Raj Gonsalkorale<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

At\nthe outset, it needs to be stated emphatically that the argument for a\ncomprehensive land management policy is not to deter or prevent the economic wellbeing\nof people who are engaged in agriculture or to prevent or deter greater private\nsector participation in agricultural projects in the country. In fact, the need\nfor such a policy is to ensure these objectives can be achieved without causing\nlong term harm to the environment and the bio diversity of the country and\nwithin legally enforceable parameters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\nhas been stated many times, a land management policy should be underpinned by\nthe principle of achieving more with less, meaning, using less land to produce\nmore through means such as agriculture reform, research and crop\ndiversification.  Opening more and more\nland tracks for cultivation does not meet this criterion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nproject to grow Aloe Vera in the Rajanganaya, reportedly with the necessary\napprovals from the relevant government agencies such as the Environment\nAuthority, has attracted a lot of attention for several reasons. It is\nunderstood however that an environmental impact study has not been carried out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several newspaper\narticles have been written about this project. It is not the intention here to\nrepeat what appears to have been well researched and presented by several\njournalists and analysts.  Two articles\namongst the many are referred to here to illustrate some key issues that are\nrelevant to the need for a comprehensive and sustainable land policy for the\ncountry. They are http:\/\/www.themorning.lk\/aloe-vera-cultivation-in-wilpattu-buffer-zone\/<\/a> and http:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/recomended-news\/High-hopes-for-farmers-despite-looming-threats-to-Wilpattu\/277-184628<\/a>. It is suggested that readers who are interested in more\ndetails of this project and the issues that have been highlighted familiarise themselves\nwith these and other articles written on this subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is reported that over\n100 acres of land had been cleared and lots are being demarcated with\ninterlock-paved roads in the Rajanganaya, Yaya 18 area in Anuradhapura, in the\nWilpattu Buffer zone. The investment\nfor the project is stated to be USD 370 million and includes planting\nseedlings, construction of a dam across Panikkan Kulama Ela, a research plant,\nfactory, indoor playground, research institute and development work at\nRajanganaya Junction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The investor for this\nproject is understood to be Aura Lanka Herbals and its Managing Director (MD)\nDr. Chandika Viranjith Thambugala. Press reports contend that concerns have\nbeen raised by residents that the private company owner, with the assistance of\nMinister of Environment and Wildlife Resources and Lands and Land Development\nS.M. Chandrasena is destroying the ecosystem in the area and trying to acquire\nstate-owned land in the area through this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The news item states With most of the land\nsituated around the proposed plantation site in Rajanganaya belonging to the\nGovernment, there are several plots which have permits for cultivation and some\nthat do not. Furthermore, some of that land belongs to the Departments of\nWildlife Conservation and Forest, and some of it is under local government\ninstitutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about the outcry created by the environmental\norganisations indicating that this project is causing massive damage to the\necosystem as it is conducted adjacent to the border of Wilpattu National Park,\nthe Minister reportedly had responded that It is in our nature to oppose any\nnew development project that takes off. The public should not engage with such\na school of thought. We need to understand that this project will not only\nassist the farming community in the area, but will also greatly benefit the\ncountry as Aloe Vera products have a huge market internationally. The President\nhimself has instructed us to assist investors who are introducing projects that\nwould uplift the livelihoods and the economy\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister had also noted that after studying the project proposal, there was potential\nfor the project to grow across 100,000 acres. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project appears to\nbe a good litmus test to what appears to be a confusing, at times contradictory\nand a cross purpose approach to land management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Issues which are relevant\nto the need for a comprehensive land management policy may be noted as (a) Why\nwas a natural wild life park buffer zone selected for this project and why was\nthe Wilpattu buffer zone chosen? Were there no other suitable land extents for\nthis project?  (b) Although the extent of\nland used presently is 100 acres, the Minister has stated that the project has\nthe potential to grow into 100,000 acres. This is 1000 times more than the\npresent extent. Where will land come from for such an extension? Will more buffer\nzone land be cleared for this? (c) if and when the project expands as\nmentioned, and should the Environment Authority declines to approve further\nland clearance, what impact would that have on the project? (d) A large scale\nagriculture project will require a substantial amount of water. How will such\nwater requirements be met? (e) Does Aloe Vera require fertiliser and chemicals?\nIf so, what impact will that have on soil conditions, water tables etc., and directly\nand indirectly on health issues? (f) there appears to be confusion about what\ncategory of land has been cleared and earmarked for this project and which\ngovernment agency is responsible for administration of such land. Besides,\nissues relating to land permits given to villagers for cultivation which they\nhave supposedly sold to the private company have raised questions about the\nlegality of such transactions. A question does arise how State land given on\ncultivation permits could be sold by such a permit holder to another individual\nor a company and (g) the project appears to be more than just an agricultural\nventure. If what has been reported about other infrastructure developments such\nas an indoor playground, developments of the Rajanganaya junction etc. are\ncorrect, the project certainly shows potential to grow into the 100,000 acres\nthat Minister Chandrasena referred to and (h) How does this project fit in with\nthe Bim Saviya land registration system? Are there survey plans and clear\nboundaries between the Wilpattu reserve and the buffer zone and the land\ncleared for this project? How would one determine whether there has been\nencroachment into the reserve? Has the project or its main investor got a land\ntitle for the 100 acres that has been cleared? If so, how did State land fall\ninto the hands of an individual?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these issues and\npossibly more raised by others need to be considered and addressed while the\ncurrent and future governments work towards providing opportunities for people\nto improve their economic and social well-being. Making use of land for this\npurpose will always be a key avenue for their upliftment. However, shorter term\nbenefits that do not take into account longer term costs such as harm to the\nenvironment and its bio diversity, and absence of a well-defined legal\nstructure for land management will render such economic development work more\ndamaging than benefiting the very people for whom opportunities are afforded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concerns expressed\nand protests lodged by many, including villagers are understandable. This is\npartly due to lack of clarity arising from the many issues as identified from\n(a) to (h) above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In two earlier articles titled <\/em>Is there a secret agenda\nbehind indifference to land management policy reform in Sri Lanka?<\/em>\u201d http:\/\/www.ft.lk\/columns\/Is-there-a-secret-agenda-behind-indifference-to-land-management-policy-reform-in-Sri-Lanka\/4-709618<\/a> and Sri Lanka desperately needs a strategic, transparent and\ncomprehensive State land management policy-<\/em>http:\/\/www.ft.lk\/columns\/Sri-Lanka-desperately-needs-a-strategic-transparent-and-comprehensive-State-land-management-policy\/4-709028<\/a>), the writer raised several\nrelevant issues pertaining to the need for a comprehensive land management\npolicy for the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nAloe Vera project amply demonstrates the complexities that currently exists\nwith regard to land management and possibly the potential for many to have\ntheir hands in the pot and spoil chances of future investments. If projects do\nget stalled for these reasons, interventions from the highest elected official\nin the country could become the norm, and this would undermine and weaken the\nadministrative system in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nproject needs to be viewed from the bigger picture perspective of land\nmanagement in the country as noted in earlier writings has several aspects<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. The Bim Saviya and its relevance and\nsuitability for Sri Lanka<\/li>
  2. Changes needed to laws that existed\nprior to the introduction of Bim Saviya in 1997<\/li>
  3. The need for land laws to regard and\nrespect the traditional customs and practices<\/li>
  4. Management of the eRegister and\nreasons as to why it cannot be done by an institution like the Moratuwa\nUniversity<\/li>
  5. The classification of State land as\nresidual land\u201d with its vagueness leaving room for corrupt practices,\nencroachment into forest lands and wild life reserves.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    82%\nof land in Sri Lanka is classified as State land. There are also vast tracks of\nland that has traditionally been in the custodianship of religious\ninstitutions. Buddhist temple land is supposed to be quite extensive. There are\nforest reserves, wild life reserves and the so called no man\u2019s land called\nresidual\u201d land. There are also large extents of State land which are unproductive.\nThere is plantation land where Tea, Rubber and Coconut and other crops are\ngrown. It is known that some of these lands should be subject to crop\ndiversification as some Tea and Rubber lands are unproductive. Improving\nproductivity, attracting foreign investments and private sector participation\nhas to consider how such currently available land could be made more productive\nbefore the remaining virgin forests are destroyed for short term convenience\nand benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In\nthe context of all this, not having a comprehensive and strategic land\nmanagement policy for the country is not consistent with the Presidents own\nmanifesto and the government\u2019s overall governance document, Vistas of\nProsperity and Splendour, and its key planks.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Land\nand people are the most valuable assets of the country. People will not exist\nwithout land, and land will not exist without environment protection and bio\ndiversity. Bio diversity damage will need many years to heal. The effects of\nbio diversity damage done today will be felt for decades and more and it is the\nfuture generations that will pay the price for the callousness and imbecility\nof the present generation.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Raj Gonsalkorale At the outset, it needs to be stated emphatically that the argument for a comprehensive land management policy is not to deter or prevent the economic wellbeing of people who are engaged in agriculture or to prevent or deter greater private sector participation in agricultural projects in the country. In fact, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-raj-gonsalkorale"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109631\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}