Regulatory rollback tailored for “politically backed megaprojects”– Environmentalists

Investigations have revealed that the government's controversial easing of environmental regulations appears closely aligned with the interests of a small but powerful coalition of politically connected investors, environmentalists have alleged.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

The move weakens key Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements and accelerates approvals for high-risk projects, has triggered a storm of criticism from environmental scientists, civil society groups and even sections within the administration, they have claimed.

Environmental Scientist Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice, told The Island that the policy reversal “bears the fingerprints of elite political financiers who view Sri Lanka’s natural assets as commodities to be carved up for profit.”

"This is not accidental. This is deliberate restructuring to favour a specific group of power brokers,” he told The Island. “The list of beneficiaries is clear: large-scale mineral extraction interests, luxury hotel developers targeting protected coastlines, politically backed hydropower operators, industrial agriculture companies seeking forest land, and quarry operators with direct political patronage.”

Information gathered through government insiders points to four clusters of projects that stand to gain substantially: