Court gives go-ahead to Habarana concert ‘without audio’

Saturday, 18 February 2023 01:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Hingurakgoda Magistrate Court yesterday issued an order to conduct this weekend’s Deep Jungle Music and Cultural Festival without the use of loudspeakers and sound amplifiers, whilst also ordering the deployment of Police and Wildlife officers to monitor the event.

The State-endorsed event including the President and the Prime Minister was supposed to be a 100+ music-hour festival next to the Galoya Forest Reserve, a well-known elephant corridor in Habarana that connects the Hurulu Eco Park to Kaudulla and Minneriya National Parks from 17 to 19 February.

However, after many environmentalists filed lawsuits against the festival, the court ordered the Police and the Wildlife Conservation Department that the said festival should be conducted following the Inspector General of Police Circular 2031/2007 and to deploy a 20-member Police team and a 10-member wildlife officer team to monitor whether it is conducted per the said circular.

In addition, a conditional order was issued to conduct the event without the use of loudspeakers and sound amplifiers, so that the concert does not go beyond the boundaries of the existing premises.

A conditional order was also issued to the Habarana Police to immediately seize the relevant sound equipment and take action as indicated in circular 2031/2007 if there is any violation of the said event Inspector General Circular 2031/2007. Thereby, the loudspeakers or other such devices shall not be used validly from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. of the following day under Section 80(1) of the Police Ordinance. The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), Rally for Animal Rights and Environment (RARE), Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), and the Sri Lanka Nature Conservators (LNC) contributed to the filing of this case.

Under the guidance of Senior Counsel Ravindranath Dabare counsels S.H.M. Hasaan Hamid and Nishani Udeshika represented the petitioners.

Many people who are interested in the environment worked to prevent the harmful situation that may occur to wild animals and the environment due to this concert.

The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) this week said the Government must take full responsibility for the wildlife and ecosystem destruction that will turn out from the 100-music-hour concert in Habarana.

Claiming that the event is State-endorsed where the President and the Prime Minister have appreciated the initiative taken by the host company for holding it to promote destination Sri Lanka, the CEJ said if authorities fail to cancel the event, they will seek legal action.

“We insist the relevant authorities immediately cancel the approvals given and the organisers to move the event to another location, where our natural environment and animals are not affected,” CEJ Legal Officer Samadhi Hansani Premasiri told the Daily FT.

CEJ sent letters of demand (LODs) to Deep Jungle Entertainment Ltd. Founder Sumudu Saman and the Inspector General of Police.