Cardinal: ‘Laws needed to punish those who destroy the flora’

COLOMBO: Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has stated that if the ecosystem is protected, the country’s water resources will become a major source of income for the country in the future.

The Cardinal stated this when addressing Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena who paid a courtesy call at his official residence to offer greetings to His Eminence for the upcoming Christmas season.

“Our country is being deforested on a large scale by now,” the Cardinal said.

“It has to stop and the government should take necessary steps to formulate a program to protect forests in accordance with the Constitution itself.

“Laws should be enacted to severely punish those who destroy the flora in this country.

“If the ecosystem of the country could be protected by doing so, our water resources would be in great demand, in future world water shortages,” the Cardinal added.

Commenting on this, the minister said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s program is dedicated to rescue cities from being oxygen deficient and that environment friendly activities are included in the village-by-village development program.

Member of Parliament Yadamini Gunawardena was also present on this occasion.