EPPAWALA – Destruction of Cultural Heritage in the name of Development D.L.O. Mendis SRI LANKA PUGWASH GROUP 16/1, George E. de silva Mawatha Kandy, Sri Lanka Tel/Fax: ++ 94 8 223597 16, Amerasekera Mawatha, #2/9, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka Tel/Fax: ++ 94 1 593210 email: [email protected] 1 First Edition May 1999 Copyright Reserved ©D.L.O. Mendis ISBN 955-647-001-8 Printed in Sri Lanks by Vishva Lekha Printers 41, Lumbini Mawatha Ratmalana 2 Acknowledgements It is a pleasure and privilege to acknowledge the encourage-ment and unstinting support given by numerous friends who knew about this book. I shall only mention a select few because it is not possible to mention all of them by name. Ivan Amerasinghe’s inspiring messages from London, kept me busy in the wee hours of the night - when email functions best; Nihal Fernando not only gave me the Studio Times photographs for use in the book, but also kept encouraging me; and he introduced me to Jonathan Walters, whose Preface and Chapter 12 show a concern for the people of Eppawala which puts to shame the attitudes of some local persons in high places; Phil Smith contributed some interesting information on discounting, in the Foreword; Brendon Gooneratne wrote a note on Project Jonah; Antony Anghie wrote on the Nauru case and sustainable development; and, Laksiri Mendis informed me about the Gabcikovo - Nagymaros case in the World Court, and lent me his copy of the UNEP/UNDP report which carries Vice President Christopher Weeramantry’s Separate Opinion, Excerpts from which have been included in the preliminary pages; and Asoka Dissanayake read the drafts and offered friendly criticism that was meant to help me focus on the real issues, and stop wandering around; however it goes without saying that, any shortcomings in the book are my responsibility alone. Last but not least, I have to thank the staff of Sarvodaya Vishva Lekha who went out of their way, making time in the midst of busy schedules, to complete this publication in time for the ceremonial release on June 9, 1999. The Minister of Science and Techonology unhesitatingly agreed to be the Chief Guest on this occasion, and the President of the Sarvodaya Movement graciously accepted my invitation to be the Guest of Honour. Finally, a last minute message of congratulations from Vice President of the World Court, Christoper Weeramantry, is gratefully acknowledged. i Dedication The idea for this book was conceived when I was in North America in September/October 1998 to attend several conferences as described in Chapters 7 and 8. About half the book was written on my lap-top before I returned to Sri Lanka. Although the Minister of Science and Technology had himself spoken up against this ill-conceived project, the National Science Foundation (that comes under his purview) had decided that my Pugwash paper did not fall within their criteria for a travel grant. The reason I suspect was because my paper was critical of the government’s stand on Eppawala. Thus do some scientists demonstrate their “loyalty” to the powers that be. Despite this lack of support from the NSF, I was able to participate in the 48'” Pugwash conference on The Long Roads to Peace, in Mexico, and in the World Bank conference on Culture in Sustainable Development, in Washington D.C. as described in this book. This was possible only because of the sacrifice and support of my wife and children, who have always understood and shared my joys and sorrows, and in this case, my anguish. They have always been closely associated with me in my work in Sri Lanka. This has given me the confidence to laugh in the collective face of the privileged few in important places who try to split hairs and pontificate on the “merits” of ill-conceived projects, from time to time. In the 1970s and 1980s it was Lunugamvehera, which I had predicted, when it was being promoted by interested persons, long ago, would turn out to be a Colossal Monument to Technocratic Folly1, which is just what it has, sadly, proved to be. Now it is Eppawala, which seems to be an even greater monument to ignorance and folly, if nothing else. My family, like many of my friends, appreciate our cultural heritage and instinctively understand the dangers of the Eppawala project. This book is dedicated to them with all my love. Reference 1. Sun, Newspaper, April 2, 1983. ii Contents Acknowledgements and Dedication i List of Figures, List of Illustrations and Tables iv Preface by Jonathan Walters vii Foreword by Philip B. Smith xi Project Jonah by Brendon Gooneratne xv The Nauru Case and Sustainable Development by Antony Anghie xvii Excerpts from the Separate Opinion of Vice President Christopher Weeramantry of the International Court of Justice, The Hague, in the Gabcikovo-Nagymams case xxi Introduction 1 1. Eppawala - Heart of the Ancient water and soil conservation ecosystems of Rajarata 28 2. Appropriate technology for developing the Eppawala phosphate rock deposit 49 3. The Technology of Development and the Underdevelopment of Technology 74 4. The Conventional Wisdom and the Counter Culture of Alternative Development 106 5. Proposal to mine the Eppawala deposit to exhaustion in 30 years 130 6. Technical, Economic and Political perspectives for and against the proposal 137 7. Ecosystems and Cultural Heritage perspectives against the proposal 153 8. 1998 UNESCO/World Bank meeting on Culture in Sustainable Development 195 9. World Commission on Dams 229 10. The Conventional Wisdom as a Cause of Conflict over water 249 11. Eppawala and Nauru: Comparison and Contrast 273 12. Conclusion - Americans Share the Anguish of Eppawala 282 POSTSCRIPT 292 ANNEX - Draft World Heritage Convention Application to UNESCO 306 References 323 iii List of Figures Figure Page 1.1 Brohier’s Hypothesis reproduced by Needham (1971) 9 1.2 Location of Eppawala phosphate rock deposit 30 1.3 Ancient large reservoirs and channels in western seaboard of Rajarata 36 1.4 Ancient large reservoirs and channels in eastern seaboard of Rajarata 37 1.5 Ancient Irrigation system of Rajarata 38 1.6 Inter-relation of Irrigation Works 39 1.7 Small tank cascades of Anuradhapura district 42 1.8 Mahakanumulla, Thirappane and Ulagalla cascades 43 3.1 The Development of Underdevelopment 77 3.2 The Vicious Circle of Poverty (after Nurkse, 1953) 79 3.3 A New Map of the World 89 3.4 The Social Basis of Science and Technology Policy 90 3.5 The Science-Technology-Production system of Sri Lanka 95 3.6 The Vicious Spirals of Over-Development 101 3.7 The Stages of Economic Growth - Revised 103 4.1 Diagrammatic representation of Rail-Bus proposal 120 7.1 Inter-connected large reservoirs and channels in western Rajarata 156 7.2 Ancient Irrigation System of Rajarata showing Eppawala 157 7.3 Cascades of small tanks in Anuradhapura and Eppawala buffer zone 162 7.4 Climatological zones of Sri Lanka 167 7.5 Earth deflection bunds in the dry zone - Vetiyas 168 7.6 Ancient large reservoirs and channels in eastern seaboard of Rajarata 170 8.1 Ceylon in the Anuradhapura period and in the Polonnaruwa period 199 Map of Accelerated Mahaweli Development Programme 297 iv List of Illustrations Page The magnificent ancient Kalaweva spillway vii Religious edifices built from the surplus of the ancient water and soil conservation ecosystems ix The beautiful Thuparama dagaba where the sacred collarbone relic of the Buddha is enshrined xxviii ‘Technology on this scale was accomapnied by a due concern for the environment” xix Minister of Agriculture, D.S. Senanayake, accompanied by the Governor of Ceylon, at Kalaweva, 1940 xxxix Ceremonial inauguration of Kalaweva-Jayaganga after rehabilitation, 1940 xxxix Minister of Agriculture, D. S. Senanayake, addressing the gathering of people at the ceremony at Kalaweva, 1940 in the presence of the Governor xl *** The Role of the World Bank as seen by the common man 4 The source of the Jayaganga, downstream view from Kalaweva sluice 7 Protests against proposed Eppawela sell-out 17 Ancient Kalaweva sluice unearthed during Accelerated Mahaweli Development Project 31 Kalaweva-Jayaganga head-sluice with Kalaweva at full supply level 31 Gal vihare - ‘Those who built those statues were not ordinary men” 45 The Watadage at Polonnaruwa 46 Quarrying phosphate at Eppawala - early stages 63 The World Bank is with us 113 Rail-bus in operation on Polgahawela-Maho route 121 Cultural heritage monuments of Anuradhapura period - Brazen palace and Ruvanweliseya 200 Cultural heritage monuments of Polonnaruwa period - Gal Vihare 200 Kaiaweva spilling - an awesome sight 232 v Kalaweva - magnificent monument to sustainable development 247 D.S. Senanayake, Minister of Agriculture at Kalaweva in 1940 250 Children of Kalaweva-Jayaganga cultural landscape - their future at stake? 251 View from Pospet Kanda - Sacred Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura, oldest historical tree in the world 284 Another view from Phosphate hill - the highest brick structures ever built on earth, the dagabas of Anuradhapura 286 The leader of peoples resistance in Eppawala, Rev. Piyarathana 290 Sigiriya rock and frescoes - recognized as World Heritage Monuments 303 **** List of Tables Page Chapter 1 Table 1: Hydraulic Engineering vs. Water and Soil Conservation Ecosystems .. 34 Chapter 3 Table 3.1: Some terms describing the Two Cultures (on a global basis) .. 81 Chapter 3 Table 3.2: The Two Cultures inside Sri Lanka .. 81 Chapter 3 Table 3.3: Gross External Liabilities Outstanding (in Rs. Million) .. 93 Chapter 8 The Hague Convention - List of 92 States Parties as at 15 July 1998 .. 213 Chapter 8 UNESCO Convention on Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property - List of 88 States Parties as at October 1997 .