Valuable flora in Chunnakkadu reserve destroyed

COLOMBO (News1st): An organized group is destroying valuable flora in the Chunnakkadu reserve, a News1st investigation has found. Nearly 200 plants including Weera, Palu, Kaluwara, Kohomba have already been cut down in the reserve near the Kantale sluice canal area. Area residents allege that more valuable plants have been uprooted deeper into the forest reserve, that is home to many endemic species of birds. Nearly 60 acres of land in an adjacent forest reserve has also been cleared by cutting down at least 1000 plants for paddy cultivation.