A proposal has been made to appoint an expert committee under the leadership of the Minister of Environment to investigate issues related to the Ambuluwawa Environmental Zone, following concerns raised over recent landslides in the area.
A group of young journalists and social activists, including journalist Tharindu Jayawardene, who has been reporting on the landslides, met the Minister of Environment on Wednesday morning (08) to discuss the situation.
During the meeting, it was proposed that an expert committee representing the Ministry of Environment be appointed to examine management-related issues and environmental risks within the sensitive ecological zone.
The Minister subsequently instructed the Central Environmental Authority to take prompt action, with priority given to environmental conservation and public safety. Environmentalist and ministerial advisor Ravindra Kariyawasam also directed the Authority to carry out a comprehensive technical study on the matter.
The Minister emphasized that following a review of media reports and technical investigation findings related to the landslides, decisive decisions regarding Ambuluwawa Mountain would be taken, with the safety of the public placed as the highest priority.
In addition, a joint field inspection is expected to be conducted in the coming days, involving officials from the Central Environmental Authority, journalists who reported on the issue, and social activists, to directly assess conditions in the environmental zone.
Earlier, the Ministry of Environment instructed the Central Environmental Authority to take necessary steps to suspend all construction activities on Ambuluwawa Mountain until a formal expert report is submitted and a final decision is taken on potential risk levels. (Newswire)
