Stop Destructive Mini-Hydro Project in Buffer Zone of Sinharaja World Heritage Rainforest!

The President of Sri Lanka; Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka; Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Minister of Power and Energy; Ranjith Siyambalapitiya: we urgently request a halt to the Mini-Hydro Project across the Koskulana river in Sinharaja World Heritage Rainforest buffer zone (1)(2). This destructive project in an environmentally sensitive area has been approved by the Kegalle branch of Central Environmental Authority (CEA) without carrying out a legally required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

This region has some of the highest biodiversity in the world and has yet to be studied in detail. Just recently eight new species of frog was discovered in an area close to Sinharaja Rainforest in Peak Wilderness (3). These priceless undiscovered flora and fauna will be completely destroyed by the dam, access roads, power transmission lines, turbine building, the flooding of forest and the obstruction of the river’s natural flow.

The destruction of similar habitat has already been demonstrated at the illegal Mini Hydro Project at "Eli Hatha" Falls, in Sripada Sanctuary. A project carried out by Pan Hydro (Pty) Ltd in 2012, a company owned by Dr. Harsha Samaraweera, who is said to have been the family physician of President Maithripala Sirisena the then Health Minister (4).

The wildlife living in the Sinharaja World Heritage Rainforest are dependent on the Buffer Zone for their survival. The disturbance in the Buffer Zone by roads, a lake, weir/dam, power transmission lines and human intrusions will inevitable cause the loss of species and dilute the biodiversity of the Sinharaja Rainforest. Sri Lanka’s Mini Hydro Program has close to one hundred dams planned in the highlands of Sri Lanka, a region that stands to lose its status as a biodiversity hotspot (an area that contains at least 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics). Furthermore, the loss of this biodiversity hotspot status will result in Sri Lanka losing future research funding, priceless knowledge, and economic benefits(5)(6)(7).

This project only generates 0.6 megawatt, which is about half that of an average mini-hydro project(8) and is unreliable as it is dependent on rainfall. Recently, MAS holdings installed 1 megawatt of Rooftop Solar (9). Not only is the sun a reliable source of power, but also new roads and new transmission lines need not be built. Since the solar panels are rooftop installed no habitat is destroyed. Biogas is also an improvement on Mini Hydro as it solves two problems with one solution i.e., consumes waste to produce energy (10) (11).While on the other hand, mini-hydro creates more problems than it solves. Mini Hydro adds little power to the grid while creating a large loss of biodiversity and bringing undue hardship to individuals living close to Mini Hydro 
Projects (12) (13).

Therefore, we respectfully request the President of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the Minister of Power, to lift the veil of secrecy protecting those behind these projects and to scrap the Sinharaja Buffer Zone Mini Hydro Project along with all other Mini Hydro Projects and to offer incentives to businesses and individuals to turn to non destructive ways of generating power such as Biogas which solves two problems with one solution and Rooftop Solar with greater potential power generation at a lower cost (Since only 55% of Sri Lankans are connected to the power grid and rooftop solar can work without further investments in grid infra-structure than the destructive, grid dependent Mini Hydro Program) (14). A program to build storage capacity for solar should also be implemented, such as the program to use old hybrid car batteries in Yellowstone National Park and by Daimler’s 13 MWh storage plant in Germany (15)(16). One Megawatt Hour of AC power storage is approximately one 40ft container of LiPo batteries (17).

We need to protect our biodiversity for future generations and not allow a select few to vandalize our flora and fauna for profit and personal gain. Please halt the Koskulana Mini Hydro Project in the Sinharaja Buffer Zone and all mini/micro hydro projects and replace them with non destructive ways of generating power such as Rooftop Solar and Biogas.

(1). http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2015%2F11%2F19%2Flocal%2Fsinharaja-forest-under-threat

(2).http://www.rainforestprotectors.org/rainforest/images/koskulana%20project%20site.jpg
(3). http://news.mongabay.com/2013/03/scientists-discover-8-new-frogs-in-one-sanctuary-nearly-all-critically-endangered-photos/
(4). http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/08/19/illegal-hydro-power-project-in-siripada/
(5). https://infogr.am/biodiversity-hotspot-western-ghats-and-sri-lanka
(6). http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/02/27/sri-lanka-small-hydro-power-projects-add-350-mw-2020
(7). http://amazinglanka.com/wp/sri-lankas-biodiversity/
(8). http://www.sswm.info/content/hydropower-small-scale
(9). http://www.dailymirror.lk/94197/mas-unveils-country-s-largest-rooftop-solar-plant-in-fabric-park
(10). http://www.economynext.com/Bio_gas_seen_as_cheap_option_for_Sri_Lankan_small_businesses-3-3532-8.html


(11). http://www.scidev.net/south-asia/cities/news/turning-waste-into-resources-in-sri-lanka.html
(12). http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150301/news/sylvan-spot-threatened-by-dam-proposal-138289.html
(13). http://www.researchgate.net/publication/237741167_Social_and_Environmental_Impacts_of_a_Mini-hydro_Project_on_the_Ma_Oya_Basin_in_Sri_Lanka
(14). http://solarlove.org/microfinancing-for-home-solar-bringing-solar-power-to-tens-of-thousands-in-sri-lanka/
(15). http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/sep/17/yellowstone-toyota-prius-hybrid-cars-renewable-energy
(16). http://www.gizmag.com/second-use-battery-storage-grid-connection/40290/
(17). http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/ionex-has-a-1-mw-battery-ready-for-the-grid