MR hits back on Uma Oya

• Claims current Govt. failed to take timely action to mitigate adverse effects 
• Says the project was a priority in both UNP and JVP agendas

 Claiming that the Government’s failure to take timely action has led to disastrous results for the Uma Oya project, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday refuted allegations levelled against him by different political groups. 

“The first seepage of water had taken place only in late December 2014, just days before the present Government came into power. The environmental harm it has caused could have been averted if remedial measures had been taken in time,” Rajapaksa said in a statement. 

Recounting the history of the project, which has been on the table as early as 1959, Rajapaksa highlighted that although JVP MPs were now crying foul, they too proposed the project during their short stint at the agriculture ministry in 2014. 

“The JVP supported my candidacy at the 2005 presidential elections and Uma Oya was made a priority project of my Government. From winning the war against terrorism to building highways, harbours and power plants, my Government did many things that previous governments had only been able to dream about, but never implement. Uma Oya was one such project,” Rajapaksa said. 

The former President pointed fingers at both the current Government and the JVP for failing to do their duty to mitigate the colossal environmental damage caused by the Uma Oya project as both parties paid no heed to the situation to take timely action. 

“The new Government took no action because they were too busy persecuting the Opposition. The JVP was also too busy persecuting the Rajapaksas and helping the UNP to run the FCID to make representations to the Government to rectify a problem that had arisen in the only major project ever initiated by a JVP Minister.” 

Further, he stated that an adverse impact to some communities was unavoidable when implementing large-scale projects. However, he explained that although the extent of water seepage during the drilling of the Uma Oya tunnel may not have been anticipated, in projects of this magnitude even unanticipated contingencies have to be provided for. 

“Many large projects were implemented during the nine-year tenure of my Government and some displacement of people did take place but there was no public unrest because problems were identified early on and compensation packages provided to the satisfaction of those affected,” he said.

“Such alertness and efficiency is however lacking under the present Government. Today, the situation is such that if a citizen loses his house in a landslide or flood or some man-made disaster, he will be living in a tent or a school until the next Government comes into power. There is now agitation over issues that have emerged in the construction of the Central Highway which have not been resolved by the Government. Those affected by the unforeseen problems that have emerged in the implementation of the Uma Oya project have had to endure the consequences of the inherent inefficiency of the present Government,” the statement said.