A public meeting was convened by the Walawe Left Bank United Farmers’ Organization in protest of solar energy projects being implemented in Hambantota, which has raised serious concerns about the devastating environmental impact of such projects.

The public meeting was attended by a coalition of environmental activists, lawyers, social activists, and farming organizations. All of them were united in their opposition to the environmental destruction currently taking place. They discussed issues such as the burning of forests along the Hambantota Elephant Management Reserve to accommodate solar power projects. This has resulted in wild elephants being driven out of their habitat and into villages, which poses a serious threat to the lives of people in those villages. Environmental destruction was another issue discussed during the meeting.

One of the major resolutions made during the meeting was that legal action would be taken against state institutions and officials responsible for approving environmental destruction along the boundary of the Elephant Management Reserve.

Representatives from the Southern Province People’s Planning Forum were also present at the meeting. They declared their full solidarity with the struggle of the Walawe Left Bank United Farmers’ Organization.