8 acres of Sinharaja cleared illegally for water plant

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Rainforests Preservers Organisation claims that the Sinharaja reserve is being cleared at Bopitiya in Handapanella. They allege that 8 acres of the reserve have already been cleared for a mineral water plant. When News 1st inquired, the Forests Conservation Department stated that no permission was granted for such a plant and added that an environmental report has been demanded for further processing.