The Hon. Lasith Bhashana Gamage

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, in line with World Wetlands Day marked yesterday, I am pleased to move the following Adjournment Motion:

¶ 02 “Muthurajawela Wetland is not only Sri Lanka’s largest wetland but one of the most biodiverse and highly regarded wetlands in the Asian region, extending 6,232 hectares from Colombo to Negombo. Its natural setting provides a unique contribution to flood control in Gampaha District.

¶ 03 However, due to various human activities and the lack of proper coordination among empowered institutions, the area now faces many problems and obstacles, placing this valuable ecosystem at serious risk. Considering its natural setting, biodiversity, flood-control benefits and ongoing economic potential, urgent action is needed to protect the area.

¶ 04 Therefore, taking into account current environmental, social and economic conditions, an expeditious programme must be established to protect the Muthurajawela Wetland.”

¶ 05 This is not the time to lecture on its environmental value — decades of research and publications, local and international, set that out clearly.

¶ 06 A key problem in Gampaha District is flooding. Attanagalu Oya and Dandugam Oya discharge to the sea through this wetland via the Negombo Lagoon. Protecting Muthurajawela will greatly help resolve Gampaha’s acute flood crises and disasters. Through 14 subcommittees under the District Coordinating Committee, our Environment Subcommittee decided to appoint an expert committee on protecting Muthurajawela. We established it last August; its report was presented to the Environment Subcommittee on 22 December and then to the Coordinating Committee on 19 January, which decided to submit it to the Ministry.

¶ 07 A major issue is legal gaps. There is a 1,285-hectare sanctuary within Muthurajawela, and separate gazettes exist. In 2004, a gazette covered 285 hectares; in 2006 it was amended and reduced to 206 hectares; in 2018, further reduced to 168 hectares. While laws exist to “protect” wetlands, in reality the trend has been reclamation and destruction.

¶ 08 Therefore, as the Gampaha DCC Environment Subcommittee discussed, this framework must be revised. A previous COPE report noted that the Department of Agrarian Development sold over 65,000 perches of wetland to the Malwathu Oya Company at Rs. 500 per perch. This shows the complexity. Muthurajawela is in an urban belt; protection requires an integrated approach. The President has spoken of creating a separate authority for the Central Highlands within this year; similarly, a comparable solution is needed here through a national programme and a unified mechanism bringing agencies together to protect Muthurajawela.