ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY OF NUWARA ELIYA F JPORT 42 EN. ^M-ILINTAL STUDY OF NUWARA ELIYA REFERENCE CMLY Final.Report ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY OF NUV/ARA ELIYA Prepared for the/ CENTRAL ENVIRONMENT AUTHORITY Gunaratna Associates Colombo February 1937 ^_ A ... CEA Library TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 Project Origin 1 1.2 Objectives 1 1.3 Terms of Reference 2 1.4 Project Boundary 3 1.5 Preliminary Report 6 2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION 2.1 Manifestations 7 2.2 Causative Factors 7 2.3 Most Serious Factor 8 3.0 BASIC ISSUES • 3.1 Depletion of Forest cover / 9 3.2 Soil Erosion 13 3.3 Soil Conservation measures 16 3.4 Specific locations and recommendations 22 3.5 Land Slides 28 3.6 Siltation 33 3.7 Pollution ' 45 3.8 Socio-economic Considerations 51 4.0 PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Land Use 56 4.2 Urban land use 62 4.3 Conclusions \ 74 4.4 Summary of Recommendations SOL APPENDICES 1 Bibliography- .86' 2 Officials met in Nuwara Eliya , 8? by the Team. 3. Team members of Study 83 Fig 1 Forest clearing for cultivation* 10 Fig 2 Erosion at "Unique view" 25 Fig 3 Sketch - section of hill slopes (Moon Plains Bomuraella access Road) 32 Fig 4 Sketch - section of hillside 34 Fig 5 Deforestation and cultivation of steep slopes 36 Fig 6 Denudation and cultivation of stream reservation 37 Fig 7 Siltation of Lake Gregory 43 Fig 8 Siltation of Lake Gregory , 44 Fig 9 Dumping of Industrial waste • -46 Fig 10 Pollution of streams by industrial waste 47 Fig 11 Pollution of stream by sewage 49 Fig 12 . The ugly face of new Nuwara Eliya 78 Fig 13 Another view of new Nuwara Eliya 79 LIRT OF MAPS Map 1 Project Boundaries 5 Map 2 Occurence of Forest Fires 12 I.'.ap 3 Project Area in Agro Ecological Region WU3 57 Map 4 Lake Gregory (Drainage Pattern) 85 Map 5 Proposed Land Use Plan for Project' Area 89 Map 6 Proposed Urban Land Use Plan 90 Cover Picture: Denudation for vegetable cultivation on steep slope; Encroachment into Pedro Forest Reserve at 'Underbank All Photographs: by K. Locana Gunaratna 1 1.0 Background 1.1 Project Origin The Central Environmental Authority (CEA), being of the view that the town of Nuwara Eliya and its surroundings ... are being subject to environmental degradation, had decided to examine this problem in some depth. They envisaged that the problem should be studied as a matter of urgency by a team having expertise in land-use planning, soils, agronomy etc. Following this decision, the Director- General of the CEA wrote in September 1984 to the principal of Gunaratna Associates (the Consultants) inquiring whether he along with a suitable team could undertake the study. The consultants conveyed their interest in October 1984 and were informed that the areas of special concern to the CEA included: Siltation of Lake Gregory Deforestation Vegetable cultivation and lack of soil conservation High use of agrochemicals Stream reservations and protection of stream banks Disposal of soild waste Location of industries, discharge of effluents, pollution and possible damage to inland fishing The town centre after July 1981 for recommendation^ on fire gaps, relocation of abatoirs, etc. Land use, and Human Settlements. The discussions the Consultants had with the CEA during the following months enabled the broad objectives of the project to be defined. 1.2 Objectives Nuwara Eliya of the 1950s and earlier was known for its salubrious climate, its neat and tidy town and the scenic beauty of its environs. These were some of its' main, attractions as one of the prime destinations for local 2 holiday-makers in those years. A marked deterioration is observable today, where perhaps only the climate has remained relatively unchanged. Many houses, gardens and parks are unkempt. Damaged buildings and rotting garbage can be seen. Hill slopes seem scarred and lakes are being silted. Roads are bad and there are frequent land slides. Such are the superficial observations. Unfortunately, the affront is not merely to 'middle-class' aesthetic sensibilities. The problems go much deeper and are manifold. The pollution by agrochemicals and sedimen­ tation of streams and lakes also adversely affect irriga­ tion and hydropower reservoirs, the lake fringe lands and the habitat for fauna and flora. The instability of hill slopes and resultant land slides have serious economic consequences such as damage to public and private property, hindrance to the transport of goods and people, quite apart from the obvious damage to life and limb. Some of the origins of these problem areas are socioeconomic. Despite this, the CEA could intervene to control and avert further environmental degradation. Thus, the broad objectives of the Environmental Study were seen as the making of recommendations: 1. to arrest environmental degradation in Nuwara Eliya and improve the quality of its environment (in such a manner as not to diminish but possibly to improve the economic and social life of its inhabitants); and 2. to enhance the aesthetic amenity of Nuwara Eliya (with a view to improving its position as a holiday resort for local and foreign tourists). 1.3 Terms of Reference Many studies and plans have been prepared for Nuwara Eliya, Their areas of interest have ranged from the integration of rural development efforts in the District, to physical 3 structure plans for the town centre. None of these have focussed specifically and in depth on environmental aspects. Thus, the terms of reference for the Study drawn up by the Consultants and accepted by the CEA were: 1. to examine available documents and conduct brief field investigations on : / (a) the existing and changing physical pattern of development including human settlements and land use, to determine its impact on the environment. (b) the pollution of the air, land and water with a greater focus on streams and lakes;, and (c) erosion in its broadest aspects including land slides and the siltation of streams and lakes; 2. to quickly identify the basic problems and causations underlying the above; / 3. to identify areas needing further study; 4. to make recommendations for immediate, short-term and long--term implementation; and 5. to present the Study in the form of a brief written report, supplemented by broad proposals on land use for the town and environs in the form of maps. 1.4 Project 3oundary At the commencement of the study, it was necessary that the project boundaries be determined. According to the terms of reference given above and the objectives as set out in section 1.2 the study area was confined to 4 Nuwara Eliya town and its environs. The area of the town was fixed by the Municipal Council limits, and the environs, to be technically acceptable for a study of this nature, was extended to the surrounding hills, which forms a mantle round the town. Thus we see the core area (the town) as an undulating valley surrounded by steep hilly terrain with only a few plateaus such as Moon Plains. The main stream (Nanu Oya) that flows through the town, and which also feeds Lake Gregory derives its waters from the innumerable minor streams and rivulets that originate in these hills. They also form the catchment of. Bomuraella Oya to the East of the town. Based on the above physical characteristics of;the study area the project boundary was.defined as follows (See map 1 ) : 1. The area within the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council limits to form the core area; * 2. To the North,'the catchment of the streams leading to Lake Gregory and Nanu Oya and extending to the Pidurutalagala hills; 3. To the east the catchment of Bomuraella reservoir- ie. the Kandapola - Sita Eliya range with Kotakitul- kanda as the landmark (this includes the Kandapola Sita Eliya Forest Reserve); 4. To the South East, the boundary to extend up to the Hakgala Gardens including the Sita Eliya Sanctuary and Hakgala Strict Natural Reserve; 5. To the South, up to Kanda Ela reservoir, and moving South West, to Water Fall Point New; and 6. To the West, the range from Waterfall Point New to Kikilimana Hill. This covers an area of 20.5 square miles, with the town defined by the Municipal limits occupying an extent of ^ square miles. i. ; -\ - X i _ • / •• r / trim'- I •4 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ id iiisEsX^, """" ''S«A By Courtsey• - ySurve^.:>" ^ff^^^^X. - i """^rf> Department!© * \^-''/^/-f-,4F "e*vtfc 6 1. 5 Preliminary Report With the identification of the appropriate extent that the study should cover, field visits were made to as many areas as possible within the Project Area. The observa­ tions made by each specialist team member were compared, discussed and inferences recorded. Interviews with Public Officials in Nuwara Eliya(Forestry, Agriculture, Urban Development.:, Anministration, Municipality, etc.) were made to ascertain their view points. Some time was also spent at the Integrated Rural Development Project Office for gathering additional data relevant to the Study. Based on the above work a preliminary report was submitted to the CEA, the objectives being to present a set of interim recommendations that could be quickly implemented by the Government without much capital outlay. These the Consul­ tants hoped would enable the CEA to take speedy action wherever ' possible to diminish and mitigate the adverse consequences of environmental degradation in Nuwara Eliya. This present report is intended to deal with all the environmental hazards in more detail and make those recommendations for arresting the continuing trend, both in the short term and long term. 7 2.0 Environmental Degradation 2.1 Manifestat ions The manifestations of environmental degradation observed in the field included: (1) Depletion of forest cover; (2).