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| Sunday, 7 August 2005 |
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Move to save fertile tea lands from destruction by our staff correspondent
Big plantation companies are again engaged in massive destruction practices causing a severe environmental, economic and social crisis in the Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts. Plantation companies which acquired the management of state owned tea estates under the 99-year lease are now replanting fertile tea lands with potatoes. Following the acquisition of estates some of these companies cut and sold all valuable trees in the estates causing severe environmental damage. Environment Minister A.H.M. Fowzie and Plantation Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said that a cabinet paper has been presented and the government is taking all measures to check the destruction of fertile tea lands in upcountry estates. The Plantation Ministry has already directed all plantation companies that estate lands should not be used for potato or vegetable cultivation. However, the directive is observed more in the breach. Minister Anura Yapa said that the ministry would take stern action against these companies. Ten estates in the Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts have already cleared thousands of hectares of fertile tea lands and cultivated potatoes. According to the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat, over 35,000 acres of tea lands have been cleared for potato cultivation. Summerset Estate, Radalle Estate, Desford Estate, Wangi Oya Estate, Glassgo Estate, Cleranden Estate, Calcy Estate, Mahaeliya Estate, Exdale Estate and Agrakanda Estate managed by the Thalawakele Plantation Company are facing massive destruction and over 100 hectares of fertile tea lands have been cleared. Saint Leonard Estate of the Mathurata Plantation Company cleared 26 hectares of fertile tea lands and cultivated potatoes. Uvakele Estate, Thangakele Estate and Rathnagiri Estate of the Watawala Plantation Company cleared over 65 hectares. Waltreen Estate and Lipakele Estate of the Agarapathana Plantation Company have cleared over 127 hectares fertile tea lands. Brookeside Estate and Delmar Estates of Udupusselawa Plantation Company have cleared over eight hectares. Kandapola Estate of the Pusselawa Plantation Company cleared over 21 hectares and the Udaradella Estate of Kelaniweli Plantation Company cleared over eight hectares. According to the District Secretary, Nuwara Eliya, the destruction is mainly due to profits. The big plantation companies rent out lands to third parties at higher rates which is more profitable than cultivating tea. They rent a hectare of land between Rs. 75,000-225,000 compared to the Rs.35,000-50,000 annual revenue per hectare from cultivating tea. The economic, environmental and social problems have intensified mani-fold.
This will reduce tea production sharply because these are some of the best
fertile tea lands in the country. |
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