Comment: Pros and cons on Wellassa sugar project

A fiery debate has again begun over a sugar project that is scheduled to be launched by the British company Booker Tate, (the same company that set up the controversial Pelwatta sugar project in 1980).

As history repeats itself the government has launched a do or die campaign while the opposition has pledged to stop the project sacrificing even their lives. This is the most unfortunate situation in Sri Lanka as this polarisation takes place when steps are being taken to start any important development program.

The result is either delaying or postponing it indefinitely causing long-term damage to the economy or the government implementing the project, suppressing the mass protests, ignoring all the negatives causing serious socio economic and environmental damage in the long run. The second scenario is when the government ignores the mass protests.

In Lanka's history there are hundreds of such instances. The Mahaweli accelerated development project, Pelwatta Sugar project, Kandalama Hotel, Norochcholai coal power project, upper Kothmale hydro power project, all highway projects proposed and partly constructed are a few such examples.

In Sri Lankan politics we are unable to see a culture where political parties discuss and take decisions in the best interests of the country. Therefore we wonder whether this project too will see the light of day.

The geographical area where the sugar project will be located has a long history and is well-known for various reasons. It is in Wellassa, meaning a hundred thousand paddy fields. The first organised insurgency against the British Empire broke out in this locality in 1818. Apart from the patriotic history Bibile was famous for oranges.

The crop was damaged due to a fungal disease in the late 1970s. In addition the area is plagued by poverty and epidemics such as malaria for many years. In the well-known novel Gamperaliya written by the eminent author Martin Wickramasinghe, Jinadasa, the husband of Nanda goes to an area referred to as Sinhale.

It was at Akiriyankumbura, where Jinadasa lived and contracted malaria and today this same area has been selected by Booker Tate to set up a sugar factory. The story revolves round the pre-independence era and even after sixty years of independence the lives of the people in this area have not changed much. Ridimaliyadda is the second poorest AGA division according to the latest statistics on poverty.

To change the economic landscape in the area a development plan should be drawn up here exploiting the available resources in the land. The British company has quite rightly identified the fertile land. This is the largest uncultivated government owned land in the Province. It seems that the company is seeking fresh land for cultivation, because it is not keen on the abandoned sugar farms in Kantale and Hingurana.

However, the argument put forward against the project is also strong. The debate in Parliament last week reflected the narrow views of parliamentarians both in the government and the opposition on the issue.

Being sentimental about our ancient heroes carrying slogans would not solve the grievances of the people who are living is abject poverty. On the other hand we wonder how the government takes bold decisions without proper study or assessment of the value of the other natural resources on this land and hand it over for this purpose.

Some responsible ministers said lime, oranges, aralu, bulu or nelli would not change people's lives. What does this mean? Is it the limit of their knowledge or the desire of implementing the project at any cost?

In our technology page last week we presented the views of Professor Leslie Gunatilake of the Arizona University on the value of our rich bio diversity. He pointed out the value of a large number of plants, endemic plants in the country and the plants with proven history in Ayurvedic medicine. He stressed the value of a medicinal plant Amukkara, similar to Aralu, Bulu and Nelli that the minister referred to.

Once we bulldoze this valuable land for sugarcane cultivation these invaluable treasures would vanish. The area is highly environmentally sensitive and is home to a large number of medicinal plants. It is on one end of the Nilgala reservoir, which is famous as a medicinal plant forest. Some ministers argued that Nilgala was not a valuable forest.

Meanwhile, the people believe that the Environment Minister is more independent in today's political composition as well as committed to protect the Hela Urumaya maintaining a stony silence on the issue.

It is clear that some sectors of the government want to implement the project, at whatever costs. Reports said that the forest officers were reprimanded for their reservations on the project and were forced to approve it. Now there is growing opposition among people in the area.

We remember the Pelwatta sugar project too faced similar protests but the government went ahead with it. The improvement of people's lives due to the sugar project has to be studied. However, according to statistics these are still the poorest areas in the island and Moneragala is the poorest district. Environmental issues such as elephant- man conflict are frequently reported from the area.

The local investor who bought the Pelwatta Sugar project after Booker Tate left, does not seem to be much interested in the sugar industry and now he is toying with the idea of investing in tourism, golf courts, dairy farming and other profitable businesses.

This also shows the inconsistency of the policies of successive governments. The proposal of this sugar project was first presented in early 2005.

The then Agriculture Minister had appointed a committee who assessed the environmental and other economic factors and rejected the proposal. However, the committee has proposed alternatives. The company had approached different regional politicoes and the second time the proposal went through clearing all barriers.

The issue has two dimensions and the solution should focus on how to minimise the environmental and other negative social impacts. However, such a proposal would not be acceptable to Booker Tate. It is our political leaders who have to answer the people of this country and not the multinational companies.

It is also important to probe the personal gains of politicians who are carrying on a do or die campaign in favour of the project.