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Vedda community go to court against use of heritage land
08 Feb, 2021
The Indigenous Vedda community has sought legal action against the cultivation of maize on their land.
Leader of the Indigenous Vedda community Uru Warige Wannila Aththo today filed a writ application with the Court of Appeal in this regard.
He called on the court to prevent the authorities from allocating their heritage lands to leading companies for the cultivation of maize.
Pointing out that the Mahaweli Development Authority had acquired over 50,000 acres of the forests and heritage land owned by them, Wannila Aththo said the lands were used for centuries for their daily livelihoods.
He said as this move threatens their survival, the court must issue an order preventing their heritage lands from being used for the cultivation of maize.
The writ application has been filed by the Vedda community leader along with the Centre for Environmental Justice.
The Minister of Wildlife, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, Mahaweli Development Authority, the Director ? General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, among others were named as respondents. (Colombo Gazette)
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