Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law

Madam Deputy Chairperson, several Members have spoken on the Motion to extend the Emergency Regulations. We earlier stressed that, if a disaster is declared under the Disaster Management Act, Sections 10, 11 and 12 permit the necessary measures without resorting to Emergency—precisely to prevent misuse. Yet Emergency was proclaimed, enabling potential repression, even though many tasks that should proceed under ordinary law still lag despite Emergency. Let me cite one case. On 5 December, residents wrote to the President seeking help to stop a rock quarry that threatened life and property. Because of the quarrying, the road from Urulewatta to Ilukwatta has collapsed; at Kirivawula too rock falls are occurring. In Udunuwara Pradeshiya Sabha area, at the bases of Monarakanda and Sindurankanda, two large rock quarries are operating, causing massive damage to villagers—houses have slipped away and people have been displaced. Trees, pillars, canals and streams are all being destroyed. Yet responsible officials have not even visited. A historic Buddhist temple—Potgul Rajamaha Viharaya—is there; its access road has completely collapsed, but no one has paid attention. Twenty‑four houses have been marked for evacuation; four lives were lost—38‑year‑old Jeevan, his wife and two children in Gaguldheniya died when their house was crushed by rocks. In 2016, in Rammalak village, a similar incident killed six; operations were then stopped by order, but those restraints have now been lifted. In Udunuwara, Divisional Secretaries, officials, and the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau must explain how these permits were granted. Today’s Daily Mirror headline reads: “Sri Lanka still among the worst in the world to protect the environment?” Our country is listed very low in environmental protection. We must investigate how quarry permits—exacerbating landslides and earth slips—are being issued. Yet no officials have visited; no Members have gone either. Using Emergency while failing to do what should be done under normal law invites criticism of the Government. There is also a 1.10‑acre plot utilized to create a botanical garden in this scenic area, surrounded by Lanka Tilaka Viharaya, Embekke Devalaya and Gadaladeniya Viharaya—sites of great antiquity. Potgul Rajamaha Viharaya among them now cannot even be accessed; the road is destroyed. Officials who allowed these quarries must be held to account. Even officers of the Disaster Management Centre have not gone. There is no clarity for affected people on compensation. I table the residents’ message to the President and related documents for the record. I hope action will be taken. Nearby, in Kalu Gamuwe area, people prepared for a large protest. Only when a message was thrust upon the President during a visit did officials appear—and then merely produced a copy of an old report. No assessment of partially or fully damaged houses has been done. No one has gone to the old Elpitiya area either. If the Government keeps using Emergency while failing to do what should be done under ordinary law, we must criticize that. In the Eastern Province, particularly in the madal (shore seine) fishery, fishermen face a severe labour shortage; when they seek permission to use mechanized equipment, approvals are delayed. Compensation for damage to madal operations from the “Ditva” cyclone is also delayed. We register our dismay that despite repeated raising of issues, the Government fails to act. Extending Emergency is unnecessary and should be withdrawn. I conclude, continuing our opposition to further Emergency proclamations. Thank you.