Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation (SLCC), Chairman, Damsiri Bandara Karunaratna denied allegations on clearance of 4000 acres of plant cover, in Kondachchi cashew plantation in the Mannar district.
“The allegations which say 4000 acres are being cleared for the purpose of planting bamboo are false. We have received Cabinet approval for a project which involves planting bamboo, but the final agreement has not been signed yet,” Karunaratne told the Sunday Observer.
He said the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is to be signed with a private party allocating only growing rights, to plant bamboo in 2000 acres, for a period of five years.
“Another 2000 acres are to be allocated for the planting of cashew, which will be maintained by the private party, on behalf of SLCC during the five- year period. They are not allowed rights to the profits,” he said
Further allegations have been aimed at SLCC for carrying out this clearing without obtaining environment clearance.
According to Environmentalist and Attorney-at-Law, Jagath Gunawardana,
under section 24AA of National Environment Act, together with regulations published in Gazette Extraordinary number 772/22 of June 24, 1993, it is necessary to obtain environment approval by submitting Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, prior to clearing of vegetation.
Karunaratna says that they will only sign the final agreement with the private party if the environment clearance is obtained. Karunaratna further said that 250 acres were being cleared for cashew planting by Civil Services Department (CSD), and not for this proposed project.