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Alien
plant invades Mahaweli areas
Environment
sources told The Bottom Line that this invasive plant was introduced
to the area by a private company under the blessings of the Department
of Agriculture. “The
company, as well the Agriculture Department, has only considered
the timber value of these trees. The Alien Plants Working Group
based in New Zealand has named this species to be an invasive plant.
Ignoring these warnings, the local authorities have granted permission
to import these trees as a fast growing timber species,” stated
the reliable source. This
organisation has told the villagers that the project is government
authorised and that they can earn a lot of money in a short period
of time. Although known as Golden Roots by the villagers in the
areas around Rantambe, Victoria and Randenigala, the real name of
this invasive plant is the Empress Tree, sources said. The
Empress Tree is known to adapt itself to a wide variety of habitats.
It even seems to tolerate acidic and infertile soil and is also
tolerant for drought conditions. It is easily spread by the wind
as it consists of winged seeds and also easily carried by water.
A single tree is capable of producing about 20 million seeds, which
germinates very easily. “The
risk of having this plant spreading in these areas is that Kewulgama
is a village close to Hunnasgiriya. Throughout the year, there are
strong winds in these areas. Also, the Mahaweli River is flowing
close by, so the seeds will definitely spread into the irrigated
areas. There is also the risk of this invasive plant being spread
throughout the country,” a reliable source told The Bottom
Line. “The crops along the river banks, as well as the forest cover in these areas, are in serious danger of devastation. If this situation persists most of the endemic plants will be destroyed,” stated the reliable source. |
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