Army Commandos going to be killed Nature, wheel promoting Sport

 Tuesday, 28 July 2015

Army Commandos, take a devastating turn under the patronage of bunch of rich fools, the Four Wheel Drive Club of Sri Lanka (4x4 Club), who thinks this beautiful island’s natural eco systems and landscapes are playing things for their heavy machines. 

The Commando 4x4 Expedition which is to be worked off from August 2 to 7

covering a distance of 775 km from Point Pedro to Uva Kuda Oya including some of country’s finest beaches, lagoons, jungles and mountains in the Eastern coastal belt will enter the list of greatest man-made environmental destructions of Sri Lanka, if the event will take place as scheduled. 

Causing many environment hazards under the cover of ‘Sports Tourism’ banner has become a common phenomenon in Sri Lanka during recent times. Citizens of Sri Lanka must raise their voice against these disastrous deeds as the short-term money country or organizations will earn from these events is no match for the price we pay in the long run by jeopardizing country’s natural assets. 

Tourism Promotion badly need a country-wide policy which assured the protection of island’s limited natural ecosystems. Environmental Authority must be firm on their policies, not compromising with money, political or military powers of these event organizers. 

Surprisingly Commandos has obtained the approval from Environment Authority to conduct the event. The event’s press release clearly stated the fun-ride will run through sand dunes of Manalkadu and the vehicles will cross the lagoons in Kokkuthuduwai, Challai and Dehiwatta to reach Thoppigala mountain. They will climb Rocky Mountains of Thoppigala to take an inland rout through the jungles of East to drive on the sandy beach in Arugambay before they reach Uva Kudaoya Commando Training Centre to run the extreme event. 

Had the Environment Authority considered the true environment impact of this entire event..? How long it will take to re-build the sand dunes naturally after 50 or higher powered automobiles run on them…..? What will happen to lagoon habitat once a parade of four wheels cross them killing many of its fish and water creatures….? What effect will cause by the vehicle gases and noise to the wilderness of Eastern jungles and its livelihood ….? 

On their previous attempt to conduct a 4x4 event in Potuvill and Arugambay, 4x4 Club received a bold reaction from the fishing community of the area and had to cancel the event. As their only passion is for their sport, even at the cost of country’s environment, they came back with the foolish idea of ‘ruin the nature for fun’ with the military power in a bigger scale this time. 

 

It is wise to conduct 4x4 events on prepared tracks or facilities as they have been conducted before and Sri Lanka cannot offer its limited natural assets for the fun and thrill of very little potion of the population who seek thrill on torturing mother nature. 

To much surprise environmentalists and nature lovers too have turned a blind eye to this imminent mass environment hazard and if not the citizens unite to stop this destruction, the organizers are eager to conduct the event annually. 

Army Commandos always stood for the betterment of motherland and Defence Secretary Ghotabaya Rajapaksa and Commando Regiment chief Maj. Gen. Prasanna Silva must take immediate action to preserve the good name of the regiment by making amendments to the event despite be a prey for bunch of 4x4 enthusiasts. 

Ravindra Kariyawasam (PhD Reading in Ecology Management) 

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