COLOMBO : Members of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, SJB, led by Parliamentarian Kavinda Jayawardana staged a mass protest on Saturday, Nov.6 challenging the legality of the gazette notification issued allowing the Urban Development Authority to acquire the Muthurajawela marshy lands.
The protest led by Kavinda Jaywardena in Munnakara in Negombo, highlighted the President’s arbitrary action by an Order published in the Gazette No.2248/44 dated 07.10.2021 declared that the Muthurajawela marshy lands are urgently required for the purpose of conservation and sustainable use of the Muthurajawela Environment Sensitive Zone and to develop it as a ‘Ramsar Wetland’ by preventing unauthorized filling and encroachments of its land plots.
The Protesters said that the Gazette notification will have detrimental effects on the rights of the Petitioners and those residing in the areas covering fifteen Grama Niladhari Divisions in the Divisional Secretariat of Negombo in the District of Gampaha.
The Petitioners state that as a result of the Gazette by the President there will be a restriction on the day-to-day activities of the residents of the area as well as the religious activities in the area as well as a restriction on the livelihoods of the people of the area which is mostly based upon fishing activities.
The Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has also filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking annulment of the decision taken by the Urban Development Authority to take over more than 3,000 acres of land in the Muthurajawela wetland in the Negombo, Wattala and Ja-Ela areas through a gazette notification.
The Cardinal has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court stating that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) has decided to take over more than 3,000 acres of land belonging to the Muthurajawela Wetlands in a gazette notification issued on October 07.
In his petition, the Cardinal Ranjith pointed out that the takeover would severely affect the livelihoods of the people living in the area and would challenge their residences as well.
Accordingly, the Archbishop of Colombo has requested in his petition to issue a writ order invalidating the gazette notification containing the decision taken to take over the relevant land under the Urban Development Authority.
Prime Minister and Urban development Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, State Minister of Urban Development Nalaka Godahewa, Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority, Central Environmental Authority, and Divisional Secretaries of Wattala, Negombo and Ja-Ela have been named as respondents.
