The clearance of large tracts of forest lands for tea cultivation is responsible for flooding, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna(JVP) charged yesterday.
JVP politburo member Bimal Ratnayaka said that the disaster was on track since 1815.
“Imperialists started it when they cleared forest cover in the central hills to cultivate tea,” he said. “They cut off forest in rain catchment areas of the mountains to grow tea, and successive governments have followed in their footsteps ever since, which has brought about the disaster.”
“We cannot reverse the situation like bolt from the blue,” he said.Ratnayaka was speaking at a press briefing at JVP headquarters in Pelawatte, Battaramulla. He said ,“As the rulers were destroying the forest cover for agriculture, the companies joined them in the act for profit. The public too participated in the process following in their footsteps.”
“The downpours have stopped, but the flood waters do not seem to recede from land. This is the result of disorganized development by the rulers,” he said.
“Flood damages have increased enormously when compared to the floods had had in the past two decades,” he said.He said the government should take responsibility for missing important weather forecast warnings and weather threats to the public when it mattered. “They could have saved more lives had they been able to communicate critical information to the public at right times.”
Ratnayaka said the government has clearly shown that it has neither planning nor preparedness to face a natural disaster.
Its disaster management institutions are so weak that there is hardly any leadership for their administration, he explained.
He said the government has to pay compensation up to Rs 2.5 million for each family for damaged houses in accordance with the proposed budget. “The government may not be able to receive the total amount of the insurance at once. “Nevertheless, we expect the government to be fair by the affected and to pay compensation accordingly,” he said.