SLA demands cutting down trees lining Jaffna roads

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 November 2006, 04:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna is forcing civilians to cut down the trees and shrubs along Jaffna-Palaly road and along roads leading to SLA camps in the Peninsula citing security reasons, civil society sources in Jaffna said Friday. The SLA had ordered all trees along the Jaffna- Kankesanthurai road cut down two months earlier in a similar operation.

Affected residents had to cut down valuable trees including Margosa, Teak, Jack, Mango, Palmyra, and Coconut trees lining the roads.

The environmental protection authorities in Jaffna have not taken any efforts to prevent the indiscriminate felling of trees, nor had conducted any campaign publicizing the deterimental impact on the environment, civil sources complained.

Meanwhile, security has been strengthened close to Heroes' cemetaries in Kopay, Ellankulam in Udupiddy, and in Kodikamam where Heroes day celebrations are to take place on 27 November.