Topic
Environment
980 speeches · 242 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. (Dr.) Dammika Patabendi, M.P. JJB | 78 |
| 2 | Hon. Kumara Jayakody, M.P. JJB | 48 |
| 3 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 41 |
| 4 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 28 |
| 5 | Hon. Anton Jayakody, M.P. JJB | 28 |
| 6 | Hon. Ajith P. Perera, M.P. SJB | 22 |
| 7 | Hon. Hector Appuhamy, M.P. SJB | 19 |
| 8 | Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran, M.P. ITAK | 15 |
| 9 | Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, M.P. JJB | 14 |
| 10 | Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe, M.P. JJB | 13 |
Speeches
980 on this topic- 24 November 2025 The Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran ITAK AI summary Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran supported the Adjournment Motion on alleged land acquisitions by the Wildlife Department in Verugal, stating that Wildlife and Forest Department claims together exceed the total land area of Verugal and include inhabited areas with public facilities and religious sites. He cited specific gazettes and acreage figures, questioned the basis and competence of these claims, and extended the concern to Mullaitivu, referring to multiple sanctuaries, reserves, a proposed Marine Protected Area, and cases filed against farmers. He urged the Government and the Deputy Minister to release lands taken from people in the North and East. Adjournment Motion: Land Issues in Verugal DS Division, Trincomalee Read →
- 24 November 2025 The Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC SJB AI summary M. Nizam Kariapper briefly noted the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence,” stating that awareness should include male victims and online abuse. Addressing the Adjournment Motion, he raised concerns that State agencies, including Wildlife, Coast Conservation and Archaeology, had previously been used to acquire lands in the North and East in ways affecting Tamil-speaking communities. He cited land issues in Trincomalee, including Verugal, Valaimadu and Panichchankulam, and welcomed the Government’s proposed committee on North and East land issues while requesting a mechanism for MPs to submit views and receive updates. He urged that conservation objectives be pursued objectively without taking people’s paddy or residential lands, and asked that Opposition Tamil-speaking MPs from the North and East be included in the committee process. Adjournment Motion: Land Issues in Verugal DS Division, Trincomalee Read →
- 24 November 2025 The Hon. Anton Jayakody - Deputy Minister of Environment JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister responded to concerns about lands in Verugal DS Division within the Seruwila–Allai Sanctuary, noting that the sanctuary was gazetted in 1970 and that private titleholders retain their rights despite sanctuary status. He acknowledged difficulties involving state lands and said similar issues affect the North, East, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura due to sanctuary and reserve designations. He stated that a Cabinet-approved committee under Sustainable Forest Management is reviewing affected lands, boundary demarcation, long-standing occupation and lawful entitlement, with a view to recommending de-gazetting or release where appropriate. He assured that farmers, residents, public institutions, places of worship and schools with long-standing use or lawful rights in Trincomalee, including Seruwila–Allai, would not be unjustly affected. Adjournment Motion: Land Issues in Verugal DS Division, Trincomalee Read →
- 24 November 2025 The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK AI summary Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan raised an Adjournment Motion on land-related restrictions in the Verugal Divisional Secretariat Division of Trincomalee, arguing that overlapping claims by the Wildlife and Forest Departments exceed the division’s total land area and obstruct residents, public institutions and development activities. He stated that long-established villages, schools, religious sites, public offices, pasture lands and irrigation tanks fall within these claimed areas, while approvals for leases, public facilities and cultivation projects are delayed or denied. He specifically requested intervention to release lands or regularize procedures, including approval for rehabilitating a canal at Kallaripu to cultivate about 2,000 acres and relief for cattle herders affected by restrictions on traditional grazing lands. Adjournment Motion: Land Issues in Verugal DS Division, Trincomalee Read →
- 24 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath ITAK AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath thanked the Minister for commencing bridge reconstruction work and requested revisions to railway and bus schedules in Batticaloa District, additional train compartments, a railway substation near Eastern University, reopening of the Vakarai substation, renovation of the Valachchenai bus stand, and measures to address staffing and bus shortages. He also sought development funding for rural roads and bridges, including the Narippulthottam–Pankudaveli bridge, and called for a safe boat service from Kinniyadi to Pirmaduwa Island. He further urged projects for Batticaloa urban development, lagoon dredging, sewage treatment, irrigation and drinking water supply, particularly for Paduvankarai, and requested an amicable resolution to the issue over removal of Archaeology Department signboards to prevent escalation. Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Transport, Highways, Ports, Civil Aviation, Urban Development, Construction and Housing Read →
- 24 November 2025 The Hon. M.A.M. Thahir ACMC AI summary Hon. M.A.M. Thahir addressed the budget allocations for urban development and transport-related ministries, highlighting neglected infrastructure and unfinished projects in Ampara, Kalmunai, Nintavur, Mannar, and Pottuvil. He requested action on replacing the dilapidated Kalmunai NHDA complex, improving the Kalmunai market, strengthening solid waste management, completing the Velavallodai beach park and lagoon tourism development, and allocating Rs. 470 million to finish the Mannar–Silavathurai Cultural Hall. He also called for rail links to Eastern Province tourist destinations and educational institutions, compensation for land damage caused by Oluvil Port-related coastal erosion, rehabilitation of Hidayapuram Road, and restoration of an abandoned park under the Clean Sri Lanka programme. Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Transport, Highways, Ports, Civil Aviation, Urban Development, Construction and Housing Read →
- 24 November 2025 The Hon. Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran ITAK AI summary Kaveenthiran Kodeeswaran urged that the issues he raised be addressed urgently under the Clean Sri Lanka program. He requested that the necessary action be taken. Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Transport, Highways, Ports, Civil Aviation, Urban Development, Construction and Housing Read →
- 24 November 2025 The Hon. K. Kader Masthan SLLP AI summary Hon. K. Kader Masthan welcomed allocations for transport, highways, ports, civil aviation and urban development projects in the Northern Province, but noted that many roads and bridges remain only at initial stages and urged completion. He requested practical changes to the Rs. 1 million housing assistance scheme, a properly planned resettlement programme based on accurate data for war-displaced communities, and completion of unfinished schools and cultural halls. He questioned why most revenue from vehicle emission testing goes to private operators, called for reform of the system and use of funds for environmental protection, and asked for action on the Kadawatha–Meerigama Expressway and road connectivity between Puttalam and Mannar. Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Transport, Highways, Ports, Civil Aviation, Urban Development, Construction and Housing Read →
- 24 November 2025 The Hon. Eranga Gunasekara - Deputy Minister of Urban Development JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Eranga Gunasekara said urban development should be integrated with housing, infrastructure, flood control, wetland and land management, mobility, regularization, environmental protection, and controls on unauthorized construction, rather than being used to displace communities or meet political aims. He said many low-income apartment schemes had deteriorated due to poor social management, inadequate maintenance, waste issues, broken lifts, and drug networks, and announced plans to begin upgrades in four schemes in 2026 through resident committees, UDA earnings, and budget funds. He stated that over 50,000 families require housing or regularization, with more than 14,714 already settled, and that the Government aims to build over 7,000 houses in two years, including at least 2,000 next year. He also referred to Rs. 1,300 million allocated for city branding linked to tourism in Kataragama, Anuradhapura, Kandy, and Colombo Fort, and said gazetted urban plans would be expanded to more localities. Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Transport, Highways, Ports, Civil Aviation, Urban Development, Construction and Housing Read →
- 24 November 2025 The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Rauff Hakeem raised concerns over the treatment of the Daftar Jailani Muslim place of worship in Balangoda, saying UDA and Archaeology Department interventions had affected devotees and presented an incomplete historical narrative. He urged the inclusion of Kandy’s underserved settlements in urban regeneration, faster development of the vacant Bogambara Prison site, and conservation of heritage buildings to improve tourism. He requested Rs. 23 million for an SLLDC feasibility study on flood mitigation in Akurana, revival of CRIP-related flood control proposals in Kalmunai and wider drainage studies in Ampara. He also called for prioritising the Heda Oya Reservoir, improving Pottuvil bus facilities and Colombo–Pottuvil transport, and addressing land allocation issues at Mahakanda involving the University of Peradeniya. Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation - Part 1 Read →
- 21 November 2025 The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK AI summary Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan distinguished between two Trincomalee sites associated with the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhivardhana Samithiya and argued that a proposed dhamma school construction on a coastal leasehold plot would violate post-tsunami coastal conservation rules and pose safety risks, urging the Government and Judiciary to uphold the law. He also cautioned against ethnic or religious tensions in Trincomalee, stating that local Sinhala and Tamil residents had maintained peace. In the Budget debate on the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, he said the Rs. 38.6 billion allocation was inadequate for rural development needs and should be at least doubled. He supported rural development objectives but urged that the “Praja Shakthi” programme use existing village, women’s, farmer, fisheries and cooperative bodies rather than creating new councils that could become politicized. Appropriation Bill, 2026 – Committee Stage Debate: Twelfth Allotted Day Read →
- 20 November 2025 The Hon. Eranga Weeraratne - Deputy Minister of Digital Economy JJB AI summary Eranga Weeraratne said Sri Lanka’s energy-sector restructuring under the amended Electricity Act, including separate entities for generation, transmission, distribution and system operation, is intended to improve efficiency and lower costs. He linked reliable electricity supply to the digital economy, arguing that AI data centres and proposed “data embassies” require 24/7 redundant power and grid resilience, and that Sri Lanka’s location on submarine cable routes creates investment opportunities. He said the Government is pursuing dual-supply regions, smart grids, smart meters, sector digitization, and a power-wheeling framework to enable renewable self-generation and support data-centre-related foreign investment. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Read →
- 20 November 2025 The Hon. Arkam Ilyas - Deputy Minister of Power JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Arkam Ilyas outlined the Government’s policy to develop a competitive, consumer-focused and renewable-oriented power sector, arguing that affordable tariffs require competitive generation procurement, grid upgrades and storage rather than higher renewable tariffs. He said transmission projects and battery storage tenders are underway, including major 400 kV and 220 kV lines, and that EV charging infrastructure, smart metering, time-of-use tariffs and rooftop solar integration will be expanded from 2026. He stated that the Government aims to reduce electricity bills by 30 per cent over three years through sustainable cost reductions, while also planning Mannar basin hydrocarbon exploration tenders in early 2026 with international partners. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Read →
- 20 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning JJB AI summary The Minister responded to Opposition criticisms on the Ministry of Power, arguing that Sri Lanka’s main electricity challenge is demand management and affordability rather than insufficient supply. He said CEB profits and tariff movements resulted from PUCSL’s regulatory methodology and updated cost projections, not misrepresentation, citing several tariff revisions from 2024 to 2025. He outlined the Government’s approach to electricity reform, including amendments to the Electricity Act, clearer roles in generation and distribution, controlled private participation, and rejection of high-cost renewable procurement proposals. He also noted a Rs. 23,100 million allocation for the Ministry, mainly for transmission and distribution, renewables, nuclear studies, and regularizing prior off-Budget commitments. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Read →
- 20 November 2025 The Hon. Amila Prasad SJB AI summary Amila Prasad argued that Sri Lanka’s main development constraint is the energy crisis and called for cheap, reliable supply through greater private participation and market competition in the electricity sector. He questioned the Government’s reported CEB profit projections, asking for clarification on quarterly financial volatility and possible reliance on costly diesel IPPs, and asked what concrete steps had been taken to reduce the 30 per cent share of oil and coal generation. He proposed modernizing the grid through private investment while retaining state ownership, selling non-core assets if needed, expanding hydropower and small hydro through improved water management, and easing regulatory barriers to attract investment in renewable energy. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Read →
- 20 November 2025 The Hon. Ruwan Wijeweera JJB AI summary Hon. Ruwan Wijeweera rejected allegations of government inaction, stating that poverty reduction and renewable energy development are being pursued while protecting media freedom. He contrasted the Government’s position with past attacks on journalists and media institutions, and argued that critics lack credibility on media freedom. He cited overstaffing, political recruitment, and tariff-related political decisions as causes of CEB losses, and said the Government is allocating recurrent and capital funds to secure energy supply and expand renewables. He also referred to IRENA projections and commentary on green hydrogen to argue that Sri Lanka has significant potential in solar, wind, and future renewable energy carriers. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Read →
- 20 November 2025 The Hon. Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe criticized the Government for failing to reduce fuel and electricity costs as promised, while urging it to acknowledge the continuing contribution of the Mahaweli hydropower project to the national grid. He called for stronger support for solar power, including possible solar units for poor households, and argued that high fuel dependence keeps electricity costs unsustainable. He questioned tender conditions for a 50 MW wind power project, saying they appeared to exclude local bidders, and defended the pricing context of the Adani 500 MW project while challenging the Government to procure equivalent capacity with transmission at a lower cost. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Read →
- 20 November 2025 The Hon. Anton Jayakody - Deputy Minister of Environment JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody outlined Sri Lanka’s energy resource potential, including hydropower, wind, solar, storage materials, and possible offshore gas, while arguing that past governments failed to anticipate global energy and climate trends and mismanaged power planning. He said Budget 2026 would initiate hydrogen-related work and prioritize grid-scale battery storage, including proposed private participation for about 160 MW/640 MWh, to manage evening peak demand and support renewable integration. He also noted that gas indications in the Cauvery Basin require transparent assessment of economic viability. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Read →
- 20 November 2025 The Hon. Thanura Dissanayake JJB AI summary Hon. Thanura Dissanayake said energy policy should ensure affordable, reliable and quality supply, supported by a publicly centred institutional structure. He stated that the Government revised an earlier draft law by restructuring the sector into four core State-owned entities for generation, transmission, distribution and system operation, while emphasizing the need for stronger transmission and distribution investment, particularly to integrate renewables and improve rural service. He argued for cost-reflective utility management with transparent Treasury-funded targeted subsidies, and outlined priorities including renewable expansion, grid-scale storage, green hydrogen and power-to-X technologies. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Read →
- 20 November 2025 The Hon. Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan DTNA AI summary Hon. Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan asked what immediate action the CEB is taking to provide delayed service connections for consumers who have already paid, and urged that paper electricity bills be resumed in rural areas such as Wanni and Mullaitivu until digital access and literacy improve. He welcomed the suspension of the Mannar wind protest following assurances and a Gazette decision against siting wind projects within Mannar town limits, and requested that wind farms not be placed in urban or peri-urban Mannar, proposing instead utility-scale solar on barren lands. He also called for measures to reduce outages caused by salt deposition, installment plans or subsidies for unaffordable connection fees, and defended the role of clergy in raising civic concerns on behalf of communities. Committee Stage: Appropriation Bill 2026 - Head 119 (Ministry of Energy) Cut Motion and Debate Read →