The government has decided to operate cable cars to Sri Pada for the convenience of pilgrims and tourists, Environment Conservation Trust Chief Executive Tilak Kariyawasam said.

Public Administration Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne had revealed the proposed project at the recent meeting of the Kuruvita divisional coordinating committee. He said the project would include two cable car lines, one from Nallathanniya to Fishing Hut and the other from Erathna to Sri Padstana that run through an endemic bio-diversity region.

He said similar cable car projects would also be implemented in the Knuckles range and Wedihitikanda sacred area.

Mr. Kariyawasam said several ministers had visited Australia and Hungary to study the cable car projects in those countries. However he stressed the need to consider the serious impact on the environmental, cultural and religious impact of the project. He expressed concern about the possibility of a secret ploy to ruin the virgin forests rich in bio-diversity. Mr. Kariyawasama pointed out that the Batadola cave and the surrounding forests that were the seat of the pre-historic civilization of the Balangoda man would be ruined if the project was implemented. (Ajithlal Shanthaudaya)

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)