A report containing the relief measures taken by authorities targeting the people affected by Uma Oya Multi-Purpose Project will be submitted before court within one month, the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court yesterday.
Deputy Solicitor General Parinda Ranasinghe appearing for the Minister of Environment made these remarks pursuant to a Fundamental Rights petition filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice, and four individuals who are residents of the Bandarawela area, who have been victimised as a result of the Uma Oya multi purpose project was being taken up for support.
The Supreme Court three-judge-Bench headed by Eva Wanasundara fixed the petition for October 10.
The Attorney General had earlier submitted in Court, a copy of a Cabinet memorandum issued regarding the Uma Oya project.
The Cabinet memorandum submitted by the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment had identified the main socio-economic problems in the areas affected by the Uma Oya project. The Cabinet memorandum stated; the ingress of water into the head face tunnel which occurred on December 4, 2014 resulted in some socio-economic problems including the drying up of wells, developing cracks in houses, damaging crops around the areas of water ingress into tunnels located in the District Secretariat areas of Bandarawela and Ella. The petitioners claim that as a result of the Uma Oya project, not only have their homes and crops been destroyed, but they have lost access to clean drinking water, citing this as a violation of their fundamental rights.
Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, N.Rupasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Irrigation and Agriculture, the Central Environment Authority and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in the petition.
Counsel Ravindranath Dabare appeared for the petitioners.
Deputy Solicitor General Parinda Ranasinghe appeared for the Attorney General.
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