Chemical-laden banana cultivation affects Ulhitiya reservoir

COLOMBO (News1st): A large scale banana cultivation in the Mahaweli C Zone has come at the cost of destroying the surrounding eco-system in the area. Recently, farmers pointed out that the Ulhitiya reservoir that irrigates their fields had been polluted by chemicals that flow into the water body. They complained that the company involved in banana cultivation might be allowing the pollutants to enter the water. This reservoir is surrounded by cultivation fields that serve as a source of income for farmers. According to the census and statistics department, 673,692 metric tonnes of harvest had been reaped through banana cultivations that spanned across 44,621 acres in 2019. Massive expanses of lands are owned by multinational companies, especially those of other forests, that are not categorized as protected reserves. The proposed managed elephant reserve in Hambantota, the Gilimale reserve, and the Kiribathgala mountain are among other forest lands. "The court has ordered that these lands have been acquired illegally and that they must be returned to the forest conservation department," Sajeewa Chamikara, an environmentalist said. He pointed out that the past and present governments have not implemented this course of action.