Spot on Gal Oya National Park: Illegal Mine Operations Threatening Flora and Fauna
Although this request came unexpectedly, I decided to make that trip after my friend explained about the severity of the destruction that was taking place. The next morning we got on his bicycle and made it to Nilgala.
“Brother, I heard that a quarryman from Bibile has obtained a deed to an old paddy land inside the Gal Oya Park and he was operating a mine on a large-scale. Our high-ranked officials have given permission for this. If this destruction cannot be stopped the park would be in danger,” my friend said.
Several incidents have been reported from Gal Oya and many parks in Sri Lanka, but the relevant parties possessing authority do not seem to be interested in protecting these parks or the wild animals in them. The recent incident reported was about a group-which including a nephew of the Minister of Wildlife- where its members harassed wild animals in the Yala National Park. They used private jeeps and were there with the blessings of a senior official of the DWC. If this is the attitude adopted by senior wildlife officials then it is something to worry about. The law was enforced against these rioters thanks to social media reports and other mainstream media continuously reporting and making follow-ups on the incident. Hence critics point out that what is happening inside the Gal Oya National Park is far more serious than what happened in Yala. The law should be enforced strictly against the wildlife officials who changed the boundaries of the park and allowed the accused individuals to commit crimes as well those who prepared false documents.