by Florence Wickramage

Human and social problems of persons to be displaced when acquiring their lands for development programs have to be comprehensively addressed since this aspect had not been seriously looked into by previous governments in the process of acquiring private land.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Rukman Senanayake speaking at the Workshop on the "National Involuntary Resettlement Policy" at the BMICH on Tuesday, cautioned that development cannot take place if the needs of those who are forced to sacrifice their lands and livelihoods for development projects are not adequately and speedily compensated.

Minister Senanayake cited examples of social problems dislocated people faced in instances like the Mahaveli Accelerated program. People have been affected physically and mentally to the extent that the dislocation had become a trauma, Minister Senanayake said. In several other instances like illicit felling of timber, even members of the legislature had been behind this "heinous crime".

The Minister further pointed out that already problems have arisen with the proposed Southern Highway, the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project etc. The Human, Elephant Conflict due to elephants being dislocated by development had become a serious problem.

"Each time we cut a tree, we are closing down an air-purifying factory", Minister Rukman Senanayake said. Forty percent of the country's timber requirement was presently supplied by home-gardens.

While acknowledging that the country needs development in the form of agriculture, industry, dams for hydro-power etc, Minister Senanayake emphasised, "we need forests, waterfalls, rivers, wastelands and our natural environment". But when plans are made for development programmes which would require the acquisition of private land, a rapport with the people to be affected was an absolute necessity.