“Increase livelihood development of people in Barawa Wetland Conservation”
The Ministry of Environment has decided to conserve the area belonging to the Barawa Wetland as a sensitive ecological Zone. It is located near the Pusselly Oya, a major tributary of the Kelani River.
Accordingly, the Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera and the Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunawardena and a group of people visited to observation the Barawa Wetland recently (17).
The event was attended by the Ministry of Environment, Central Environmental Authority, Urban Development Authority, Colombo District Secretariat, Homagama, Padukka Divisional Secretaries and others.
A committee consisting of the above institutions was appointed for the conservation of the Barawa wetland. Accordingly, the Minister of Environment instructed the committee to submit the report of the committee for the conservation of this wetland within two weeks. The report is to be prepared by the Urban Development Authority.
Meanwhile, some people are currently engaged in subsistence farming and other activities related to this wetland. There will be no impact on the livelihoods of these people and a program will be implemented to provide assistance to further their livelihood development activities.
The Minister of Environment also instructed that no construction should be carried out in this ecosystem unless conservation work is carried out. Steps will be taken to make it an eco-attraction for the public as well as to make gravel lanes for visitors to come here and to identify and further plant the plants that grow in that ecosystem. It is also planned to remove silt from places such as ponds that are currently overflowing in the system and to build three beautiful small reservoirs in the vicinity.
It was also decided to remove the barriers to the flow of water from the point where the Pusselly Oya falls into the Kelani River to prevent the ecosystem from being submerged by about 15 feet during the rainy season. Rs. 340 million has been allocated from the budget for this purpose and the Minister of Environment has decided to allocate more funds under the Surakimu Ganga program. Apart from that, the Urban Development Authority will also provide financial assistance.
Barawa wetland is bordered by Padukka, Hanwella and Kaduwela Divisional Secretariats. In particular, the extent of land belonging to this wetland exceeds 800 hectares. Biodiversity burden is an ecosystem threatened by various illegal activities.
At one end of the Colombo wetland system is the Barawa wetland system. Pussali Oya, which flows through the Barawa wetland, consists of many natural springs. Also, the Ministry of Environment has decided to conserve this wetland and its biodiversity as a sensitive ecological zone, which provides a great help in conserving groundwater in the Padukka, Hanwella and Kaduwela Divisional Secretariat areas.