By Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda –

Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda

It was announced a few days ago that the work on Colombo Port City projectwill resume in October according to a revised plan giving it a new name “Financial City”. To our surprise neither the President nor the Prime Minister has explained to the people of the country how their revised plan of the “Financial City” will prevent the destruction of the marine environment and the loss of livelihoods of the fisherfolk, who will be deprived of their centuries old means of living due to sand mining to reclaim 269 hectares from the sea.

It is said that 3.45 million cubic meters of granite and 65 million cubic meters of sand have to be mined for the purpose of reclaiming this land from the sea. A panel of independent experts have warned of environmental damage this project would cause to the country.

Who would care to listen to them? Their views are discarded as rubbish.

It now appears to the citizens of this country that environmental safety and security of all living beings are not matters of any importance to those in power, cash hungry planners, policy makers and politicians. What a shame?

Such arrogant attitudes are often manifested by our leaders, when dealing with issues of life and death, as far as people are concerned. Their belief perhaps emanate from their love for the neo liberal economic policies. What matters in neo liberalism is profits at any cost, no matter what happens to living beings on earth. “Profits” (mammon) is the god that they worship.

This attitude is also highlighted by lack of transparency on the part of the government as regards the new agreements that have been signed recently and lack of consultation with those who are going to suffer the impact caused by the project.

Regarding the safety of our people there is a significant example for the Sri Lankan government to consider from China. The Chinese city “Tianjin” densely populated (like Colombo) was similarly situated next to the port which exploded on the 13th August 2015. The Chinese academics have warned the authorities of many unacceptable environmental risks of having a densely populated city next to a port, but was unable to generate concern among the officials.

Could a fate similar to Tianjin await the financial city?

Once again we ask the political leaders of our land, particularly the President and Prime Minster for whose benefit are we reclaiming 269 hectares from the sea at the cost of the lives and livelihoods of our people?

For decades the world has seen the impact of this policy of NEOLIBERALISM. The unemployment, global warming, world poverty, food insecurity, desertification, the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor etc are results of this policy. “The very design of neoliberal principles is a direct attack on democracy.” ― Noam Chomsky. In such a context what can we say about “yahapalanaya”, freedom and democracy?

Nevertheless let us again remind President Sirisena who has taken the additional responsibility of protecting the environment (this Ministry comes under his purview) to consider the important question: why his government is not transparent regarding the revised PORT CITY plan. Will the Government publish the revised plan and the new agreement in keeping with their slogan of good governance?

All civil societies and people’ organizations let us wake up to meet this challenge!

Protest Against the Colombo Port City

Government sources inform that construction work on the Colombo Port City (CPC) now baptized by our Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe as the International Financial City (IFC) will resume in October.  Distressed local Fisherman now inform   that the destructive sand mining by the Chinese have already begun 

This project was publicly opposed by the incumbent President and Prime Minister while they were in opposition.

The reason given by then leader of opposition and now the  Prime  Minister during his  election campaign for halting this  was that the coast from Kalpitiya up to Hikkaduwa will be washed away into the sea. 

Although the decision to resume work has been taken, the measures taken to prevent such destruction to the coast has not been identified.

Citizens of our country have identified a number of environmental hazards, in addition to the destruction caused by sand mining that necessitates the halting of this project.  The government has been informed of these facts.

The Environmental Impact Assessment Report itself forecast that the livelihoods for fishermen will be lost for 3  years due to sand mining. 

Strangely, the report has not guaranteed when the marine environment will be back to normal enabling the fisherman to resume their livelihoods their only source of income. .

The destruction of the corals and the reefs which are the fish breeding and feeding grounds  will be disturbed due to sand mining and dumping. It may take a long period of time perhaps 30 years or more to recover or the coral reefs may not even recover due to the effects of climate change. 

Fisherman are greatly alarmed by the massive volume of sand mining 60 million cubic meters taking place near a thin reef between sea and their lagoon.

Environmentalists state that this natural reef which protects our land from storms and lashing waves is now weakened due to Chinese sand mining activities. If these destructive activities continue, fisherman fear that the reef Thalahena Peruwa may collapse resulting in the sea entering the lagoon causing a massive environmental and human tragedy in Kepungoda as people will have to flee for their lives, as the sea inundates the land.

This projects damages not only the marine and the human environment in the coastal area but also the interior of the country due to rock mining. The granite requirement to reclaim the sea area of 269 hectares, is 3.45 millions cubic meters. No adequate study has been done about the impact of granite mining.

These matters have been raised by independent experts. Unfortunately, our political leadership is not wise enough to listen to them.

People have protested on number of occasions since the inception of this Project during the previous regime. In Dec 2014 and in March 2015 over 300 petitions were handed  to the coast conservation department, on the 6th of Jan to the secretaries of the President and Prime Minister on the 6th of April 2016 a protest was held at the Galle Face Green. 

It now appears that  people's opinion do not seem to matter to the the "Yahapalanaya" leadership. The government seems so arrogant that it is ready carry out  policies which environmentalists warn presenting evidence, of possible disasters to people and the environment. 

Another matter of great importance is the secrecy that is maintained by both former President and the incumbent Prime Minister about the agreements signed between the Sri Lanka and China. 

That leaves enough room for suspicion that the content of the agreements are purposely hidden from people, because the conditions in the agreements are not favorable to the  citizens. 

The above environmentally detrimental activities are destroying Sri Lanka's centuries old Coastal Fishing Trade the only livelihood of our coastal fisher-folk.  A  protest was held by these fisherman, who brave the seas each day to provide us with fresh fish, in 8 fishing villages from Kammalthota to Uswetakeiyawa. In some villages the fishermen did not go to Sea for fishing as a mark of protest.

This very successful protest was organized by the People's Movement against the Port City. It was held at village level from 10.00am - 12.00pm. Several members of the clergy and number of Civil Society members actively participated in this event.

Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda.

Making Sri Lanka The Miracle Of Asia

Mr. Champika Ranawaka, the ministerial authority for the Megapolis, has announced that the work on the Colombo Port City is to be resumed soon after renegotiating the contract with the Chinese authorities. The project has been halted by the present government due to the irregularities found in the contract.

The government will not encounter any serious problem in rectifying the illegality of the contract and any irregularity can even be regularized if necessary by enacting new laws in the parliament.

What is to be pointed here is the unresolved and the most crucial matter of the entire Colombo Poet City project is the prevention of threats to the environment. It is to this that there is a lack of concern. If the authorities decide to go ahead with the project, the marine resources and the fish breeding grounds and corals will be seriously affected, due to the heavy extraction amounting to 100 million tons of sand from the sea. This will cause depletion of rich fishing grounds resulting in livelihood problems to thousands of fishermen living in the western coast.

It also need to be pointed out that around 16 million metric tons of granite has to be found from the interior of the country to reclaim the sea to construct the Colombo Port City. What would be the impact of such human activity on the water resources, flora and fauna and other various species living in the rock hill environment.

We can appreciate the recent statement that President Maithri made at the the 9th Annual Summit of the Institute of Environmental Professionals of Sri Lanka (IEPSL), held today (Oct. 20) at Waters Edge Hotel, Battaramulla, at which he assured that “the government would take legal actions against those who destroy the environment, irrespective of their status”.

We now await to see how he would prevent the destruction of environment if he says yes to the Colombo Port City or any other projects of that nature in their development strategy in the implementation of the proposed “megapolices”.

To make Sri Lanka, the Miracle of Asia, has been the dream of the members of Rajapaksa family, which they unfortunately failed to realize due to an error made in their calculation of their own future destiny.

Now it is the turn for Sirisena and Wickremesinghe administration to perform the same miracle. Their ambitious plan is to build “megapolises” in the Western and Eastern provinces, which the Rajapaksa administration in their times named them as Metro Regions. The purpose of both was to attract foreign investors to develop our country.

My question for Sirisena and Wickremesignhe administration is whether such mega projects will satisfy the needs of the farmers and fishermen and workers who comprise the 75% of the population. Has the new administration identified any other solution to the problems of the peasantry and small fishermen? It is my view “megapolises” are not the answers. What is not clear is on what basis has Colombo Port City been classified as a priority project?

Two Immoral Acts of Sirisena-Ranil Government.

The artificial situation now created by the President and the Prime Minister has led to an unsavory political climate in the country. When we look back on the promises made during the election campaign nobody expected the creation of a mega cabinet or the appointment of the rejected ones as Ministers and parliamentarians under “Yahapalanya”. Surely this is nothing else but cheating the gullible masses.    

The appointment of a jumbo cabinet going against the 19^th amendment of the constitution and the appointment of the rejected members as ministers and deputy ministers of the new government is an act contrary to the principles of “Yahapalanaya” and Democratic governance. This is not real or genuine politics but manipulative politics, which they are compelled to adopt in their self interests.  

If the major political parties failed to have gained sufficient number of seats to form a stable government, shouldn’t they have gone for re-election, and ask the people for a clearer mandate rather than creating a mockery of democracy.

In my view, securing the positions of Sirisena and Ranil duo and prevention of a comeback of another evil force is the only reason for making this arrangement of convenience.

Perhaps my view can be very personal and inaccurate. Yet people must be given the reasons for adopting such a strategy against their wish and election promises. Moreover, the spirit of good governance demands transparency in decision making.

If the elected members are going against the election promises and the aspirations of the people, they are undermining the authority given to them by the people to govern the country. They may desire to rule the country till 2020 but will do so without moral authority.

People should immediately send a message to the government expressing their displeasure about the way things are moving. Some voices have been raised. We should appreciate Ven Sobitha thero and the leadership of “Puravesi Balaya” who have already spoken. Let there be hundred or thousand more voices be raised but in one voice. 

President however has already indicated that inquiries against those who have done wrong will go on and the members of the parliament have to live up to the demands of a new political culture and so on. But in this political climate what guarantee do we have that promises will come true. Similarly can the politicians be trusted?

We have witnessed the behavior of some of these defeated members who have been offered   ministerial posts by the President. There is no evidence of whatsoever to show that since their new appointments a sudden conversion has taken place within them and they will a live a more noble life from now on. 

The current events are an indication that the system of party politics alone is not enough to secure people’s aspirations. The time has now come for the citizens to act more responsibly. People need to be more organized and develop an effective mechanism to participate in governance rather than assigning all authority to the elected members. 

Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda

Justification Of Colombo Port City Project

Arguments of the Economists

Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda.

A number of arguments have been put forward very recently to try and justify the construction of the Colombo Port City. Some argue that the Colombo Port City was a ‘business venture’ done with the view to make Sri Lanka the most competitive and preferred maritime and logistic hub in Asia. Hence, the construction of the Port City should be continued on a revised technical plan of the experts. Since 25% of the work Colombo Port City project is completed, others argue that by halting the project the country will suffer a heavy financial loss in addition to threatening livelihoods of local people in the Country, of the employees and service providers who have already made agreement with the Chinese company. There are also those who argue that this project shall create thousands of job opportunities and if halted the country will be deprived of all those benefits.

In the face of all this arguments, what seems certain is the underline ideology of those who argue in favor of the Colombo Port City which is a neo-liberal economics. Unfortunately, these economists are keen on denying and dismissing the warnings from scientist and environmentalists that the Colombo Port City – the country’s largest private investment in history – has the potential of becoming one of Sri Lanka’s biggest environmental nightmares: altering entire ecosystems and causing other serious environmental problems — and, by extension, endangering the millions who inhabit this country. We simply cannot sacrifice the environment in exchange for temporary economic gain.

This raises questions as to ponder, when viewed from stand point of an ordinary citizen of the country, how valid, informed and credible are the arguments of those who favor the Colombo Port City?

Human and Environmental Cost

The environmental impacts associated with large scale artificial economic project often brings with it many social and environmental concerns. The Colombo Port City is no different. The creation of the artificial city on a reclaimed maritime land affects species in the sea area, some endangered, water quality, and may increase the likelihood of earthquakes. The environmental impacts of the project are profound, and are likely to get worse as time goes on.

However, advocates who support the Colombo Port City for pity economic gains fail to understand the human and environmental cost that the project would entail, even when a revised plan is implemented. The economists who are often interested only in profits tend to be blind to such dimensions of social life. Such costs can be perceived only by those who looked at it from the people’s point of view.

For an example the project requires mass amounts of granite and sand. According to Port Authority “the estimated granite requirement for the project is 05 million cubic meters”. It was reported at a discussion held at the Human Rights’ Commission that the authorities have identified 20 quarries to supply the required amount.

In many places these quarries are already creating environmental hazards for people such as drying up of underground water resources, which is an indispensable requirement for survival of all life. In certain place water streams have already gone dry. Besides, the blasting of rocks is causing cracks in the houses and also health hazards both to people and animals.

Often these quarries are found in the interior of the country in the districts of Colombo and Kalutara; these are areas of rich biodiversity but the unique plant and animal species are quickly disappearing due to the destruction caused by the quarries. The situation will be definitely worsened when the demand for granite for building the port city increases.

Similarly a Colombo Port City Project will have a damaging impact on the coastal belt due to dredging of sand from the sea. Already excavation of large amount of sand from the sea off Negombo has caused numerous problems to traditional fishermen who depend on the shallow seas for their livelihood. The fishermen complain that the fish breeding grounds have been disturbed and have expressed fear that continuous digging for sand will intensify sea erosion and destabilize the coastal area. Recently there was a complain that fishermen incurred a loss fishing gear to the value of Rs 4 million due to the damages caused by the sand mining machinery.

The fishermen who use traditional methods for fishing also live in fear that once certain portion of land is given over to the Chinese government, the Chinese fishermen will one day become a serious threat to the livelihoods of the traditional fishermen.

Though the environmental impact of the project is already felt, there are many more concerns such as of altering entire ecosystems and causing other serious environmental and social problems—and, by extension, endangering the millions who live in this country. However, these aspects have not been taken seriously into account by the economists. But the threats to life are real. The Colombo Port City is a model for disaster.

Impact after Revised Plan

There are no signs that all these destructions stated above would cease when Colombo Port City is done according to a revised plan. It is so unfortunate that many of our experts seem to be more concerned about the profits rather than the wellbeing of the citizens.

I wonder whether the advocates of development and advancements focus mainly on the economic benefits overlooking the environmental destruction and violation of rights when constructing and approving such artificial economic projects. Thus, from right perspective this project violates the rights of the people to a safe environment and to livelihoods.

A project which is not primarily people friendly or environment friendly cannot be called a development, however much it promotes growth and bring profits to the elite. It is time that the advocates of modern development be inspired by the ancient wisdom of the Red Indians.

“When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money

Good Governance and Port City

By Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda -

Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda

Two days after the protest against Colombo Port City, there was in the morning an announcement that the Port City Project was suspended. On face value, this will bring happiness to many. But is a mere statement to the press by a Minister or two sufficient grounds to believe that the statement contains the truth? In spite of the statements of the Ministers, it was reported by the media that work on the project was going on even at 6.00 pm that day.

My reflection here is about the event that took place on the 3^rd of March. We of the “People’s Movement against the Port City”, staged a protest in front of the Fort railway station on this said issue and then proceeded to the Presidential Secretariat to present a petition.

But the civilian unarmed group of people was met by a strong police force and riot police with tear gas and so on, and our way was blocked. I do not blame the Police because they only carried out the orders of the higher authorities. What then is the issue there? As a participant, my concern is on what grounds did the authorities prevent an unarmed group of civilians to walk up to the Presidential Secretariat to present a petition?

My feeling is that it is a sign that the two leaders are gradually getting alienated from the people. I would like also to question whether this behavior reflects good governance or whether these are signs of dictatorial governance that is to come in a short period of time.

Another reason to doubt the validity of today’s statement of the Ministers is the assurance given by President Sirisena to the Indian government that since 25% of the ground work on the Port city is already completed, he would not able to stop the project. Further he has decided that the 80 acres to be given to China will be given on the basis of a 99 year lease.

This promise made to the Indian government says that the project will not be stopped. This compels us to question whether the Maithree and Ranil government have taken that decision on the information received from the EIA report of the committee recently appointed or have decided independently without any reference to the report of the environment committee. Does it mean also that this government also does not follow the normal procedures?

Therefore it is becoming clearer that both Maithri – Ranil, although they made promises to do away with it during the election campaign, they are not prepared to drop this Port City plan. At the same time, Ministerial statements are not sufficient proof that the project is going to be stopped. We know the behavior of the politicians. The practice of bluffing and misleading people is their second nature.

Therefore, all talk about good governance has now been proved to be mere empty words. They are valid only during the election period to deceive the gullible and naïve voters.

So people ought to know that the project will definitely move ahead. That is the truth about it. It will be useful to remember the origin of this idea of constructing mega cities was first found in the concept of “Regaining Sri Lanka”. Later it was found in the “Sri Lanka National Physical Plan of Mahinda Chintanaya”.

Therefore, year by year many more such projects will be introduced whoever holds the political reins of the country. It is therefore of paramount importance that people continue with their resistance to the project. At the same time they have to be prepared to face disaster when it comes. If not, catastrophe will fall on them quite unawares as it happened to the people affected by the Uma Oya project.

As a result of this Port City project, the coastal land, sea and lagoon and the fish breeding grounds, will be damaged and the livelihoods of the fisher people will be heavily affected. The houses in the coastal line will be in danger of being washed away into the sea due to erosion.

In the interior of the country, hillocks will be cut down and rocks will be blasted to provide close to 16 million metric tons of granite, impacting on the lands in the Western province and the water level in those areas will drop and the paddy lands will go dry. When blasting of rocks take place, the walls of nearby houses can crack or collapse. This is already happening in the areas such as Waga, Bomiriya and Padukka.

Further politically, we are getting more and more convinced that the government is now on its way to forget the people who voted them into power but better committed to serve the capital of the Chinese business community.