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President gives go ahead for controversial Neluwa – Lankagama road

29 Aug, 2020

By Indika Sri Aravinda

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has given the go ahead for the construction of the controversial Neluwa – Lankagama road.

The President visited the site where the road is being constructed together with the relevant Ministers, officials and others.

Concerns had been raised that the road will damage the Sinharaja forest.

On August 18 the President ordered the road construction taking place in the buffer zone and inside the Sinharaja World Heritage Site be immediately halted.

However, following an inspection visit today, the President’s office said that some groups had made statements without studying the actual ground situation.

The President was informed today on the importance of the road for residence in the area.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered that the road construction go ahead without damaging the forest.

He ordered that the road construction carried out with the assistance of the Army, be completed in three months.

The Road Development Authority had said the building of the 18 kilometre road from Neluwa, Galle to Lankagama running through the Sinharaja forest was started on a request made by the residents in the area. (Colombo Gazette)

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