The Court of Appeal has issued an order temporarily preventing the construction of the four-lane elevated highway from New Kelani Bridge to Athurugiriya, across the Thalangama Wetlands.
Issuing the order, the court has stated that the project cannot proceed until the case filed in this regard is taken up for hearing on the fixed date.
The court has prevented the project from being implemented until an environmental assessment is conducted, the report is submitted to court, and the report is taken up for consideration on the date fixed for hearing.
A petition has been filed by a resident of the Arukgoda area in Battaramulla claiming that the highway project causes severe damage to the environment.
Taking up for consideration the petition, the Court has instructed the Road Development Authority (RDA) to look into the possibility of excluding the Thalangama Wetlands and finding an alternate route to construct the highway.
The Director- General of the RDA has been instructed to submit a report on the finding to the court.
The eleven respondents, including Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera, Central Environment Authority, Road Development Authority, and the Urban Development Authority have been instructed to present facts to the courts at the next hearing.
The case has been fixed for further consideration on the 31st of March 2022.
Courtesy NewsWire
