Rape of forests damages environment

by Meghavarna Kumarasinghe

A recent survey report of the forestry sector in Sri Lanka, has focused attention on the need for intensive management of forest resources, the urgency for a short and long term integrated development strategy for the sector, as the country's fast dwindling forest cover is a serious threat to the environment.

According to the report, the forest cover of fifty percent of the land area in 1950, has now reduced to fifteen percent. In the wet zone catchment areas of the main rivers that feed the massive irrigation network, the forest cover is only five percent of the land area. A notable section of forest land has been cleared under the Mahaveli Ganga Development Program and for construction of the expressway that runs through the forest area.

Dunhinda Falls called the "Queen of the Uva Woods" and most of the waterfalls in hill-country are losing their natural beauty according to some visitors to the scenic spots. Hundreds of picnickers visit the Dunhinda Falls for sight-seeing. According to recent observations, many areas, mainly sandalwood, are being cut to grow food and jungles are being denuded.

Birds, cicadas, wild flowers and creepers are gradually vanishing. Monkeys, which were a special attraction, have more or less migrated to other areas.

To ensure the routine rainfall in the North and East a tree planting program has been initiated to restore the forest cover. The farmers and environmentalists especially would be convened to make the tree planting campaign a success.

The said report has recommended a number of urgent steps to be taken to maintain what remains of the country's available forest cover. Some of the points made in this report are

1. The Forest Department to set up a light hardwood plantation of gmelina ar borea and albizzia in the Eastern forest division for the production of construction and utility timber for domestic use.

2. The launching of a 15 year project to grow 500 hectares of pinus annually in the hill country.

3. The Forest Department and the Ministry of Plantation Industries to jointly draw up a fuel wood plantation program for tea estates.

4. The State Timber Corporation to formulate a production program to undertake the utilisation of timber in the 30,000 hectares of natural forests.

5. The building and furniture industry at present has a demand for about 10 million cubic feet of sawn timber and because the local supply does not exceed two to four million cubic feet, the industry is being fed to a large extent by illicit felling and exploitation of the country's available forest cover.

Although, the need to maintain the ecological balance by ensuring an adequate forest cover has been appreciated for quite some time, very few positive policy measures have been initiated so far.

In this report, number of measures to reduce the rape of the country's forest cover are recommended. These include the forestation of the catchment areas of major rivers and irrigation system, a program to establish a 3,000 acre plantation of fuel wood in the Mahaweli development area and the development of technology to prevent the wasteful use of timber in the building and furniture industries.

If there is a lacuna in the present laws, immediate action is needed to revise the law.

Departments responsible must seek for severe penalties to be enforced against those engaged in illicit felling of trees to overcome this problem and protect the environment for our future generations.