Two professionals today filed a Fundamental Right petition in the Supreme Court seeking an Interim Order suspending the proposed Kurunegala-Dambulla-Habarana Railway Extension Project.
The petitioners Mangalasiri Amarasinghe, an anaesthetist and Kamal Rupasinghe, an Electrical Superintendent filed this petition naming Conservator General of Forest, Central Environmental Authority, Secretary, Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation, Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation and Attorney General as respondents.
The petitioners maintained that the proposed Kurunegala-Habrana Railway extension Project would cause irreparable loss to their livelihoods and an adverse and irreversible impact on the environment through the implementation of this project.
Petitioners state that the proposed Kurunegala- Dambulla Habarana (KDH) railway track is proposed to run to the right and almost parallel to the existing Kurunegala- Dambulla (A6) highway, after branching out from the Northern Railway line from Kurunegala and continue towards North-East. The KDH Railway is proposed to originate from Kurunegala Station of the Colombo-Maho line, passing through Galewela, Dambulla and Habarana and connect to the current Maho-Trincomale line, with the total railway length of 82.445km. In addition to that, this railway line passes through Panaliyadda, Omaragolla and Beligamuwa, the residential areas of the Petitioners destroying large areas of forest lands.
The petitioners are also seeking an order directing the respondents to forthwith propose suitable alternatives to prevent the environmental impact and effect to the livelihood of the inhabitants including the Petitioners which is likely to be caused by this Project.
