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| Sunday, 22 May 2005 |
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Govt to go ahead with Upper Kotmale by M. P. Muttiah and Rashomi Silva Talawakelle and suburban tea estates were the scene of protests, rallies, shops closures and strikes since May 1, the International Day of Solidarity of Workers. The main May Day slogan of the plantation trade unions was against the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project. The project was first proposed in 1980. Efforts made in 1986, 1992 and 1998 were put off as there had been opposition from various quarters including environmentalists, trade union leaders and NGOs. In spite of this opposition, decision had been taken now to construct a reservoir in Talawakelle based on the feasibility studies conducted in 1986 and 1987. Foundation stone was laid in May 20,2002 with the UNF government's Power and Energy Minister Karu Jayasuriya and the Community Development Minister P. Chandrasekeran who supported the project then. The CEB says 150 megawatts power could be generated through this project. The Japanese Bank for International Cooperation and the Sri Lankan government signed an agreement on April 19, 2002 under which a loan of 33.265 million yen was granted that has to be repaid with interest in 40 years with a grace period of 10 years. The agreement also stipulated that the project should be completed within six years. British Professor Nicholas Hotchson visited Talawakelle in 2000 and assured that nothing would be done against the wishes of the people. According to this project two waterfalls in St. Clair Estate, Devon, Poona Oya, Ramboda, Punduloya and St. Andrews which would face a slow death and the area would lose its scenic beauty left with only rocks. A part of Talawakelle Estate, Walkers Limited, a part of Randenigala Estate, Devsipura, Kumaragama Place, a section of Nanu Oya Estate, Talawakelle Tamil Maha Vidyalaya and a part of Middleton Estate would go under water. Those who oppose the project said that plantation workers would be badly affected. It was estimated that more than 460 families living on these estates may have to be moved out from their line rooms where they lived for more than a century. As a section of Talwakelle Estate comes within the Talawakelle-Lindula Urban Council limits, most of the workers who could afford have built their own houses spending huge sums of money. Organisations said that only a verbal assurance was given that new houses would be built for them. Unless there was a written assurance their rights would not be safeguarded. In this respect several demands had been put forward by trade unions, civil societies and others. The demands were: *Houses with 10 perch of land *Temples, Churches, sports grounds, community centres, access roads should be constructed *Compensation should be paid on the basis of the valuation made on their present houses *The area of their living quarters should be proclaimed as a part of the Urban Council area *Priorities in employment should be given to the people of the area *Resettlement of outsiders should be avoided.However, those who support the project say Talawakelle would be developed as a modern city with modern facilities. There were no development activities during the past two decades and this project would help modernise the town. Several politicians were of the view that with the resettlement the ethnic balance would tilt to the detriment of the plantation workers. Considering these facts, the Ceylon Worker's Congress met the President and submitted an alternate plan. Accordingly the Cabinet has decided to amend the project so that only St. Clair waterfalls will be on the block. Meanwhile the project Director Shavi Fernando speaking to the Sunday Observer said the government had approved the project and its electricity would be added to the National Grid in another five years. The project as amended consists, among others of a power house with an installed capacity of 150Mw consisting of 275 Mw units which would produce 435Gwh per year. "We had to face opposition from many quarters and finally the government had decided to go ahead with the amended project that will affect only the St. Clairs waterfall. Commenting on the impact the project would have on the community, he said the infrastructure development would bring about a definite change in the lives of the plantation workers. "We have also begun training programs for the youth in the area. They would be trained on electrical welding, masonry, carpentry, plumbing and other skilled labour that would be necessary in the construction phase of the project. This way we would be able to minimise the outside labour migrating into the region," he observed. Fernando denied the allegation that the resettlement would affect the ethnic composition in the area and said people would not be moved more than 1Km away from their current locations. The maximum would be 1km and the minimum would be 300m, he said. |
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