On the orders of Gampaha Additional Magistrate Mrs. Fatima Sahana Mahji, the Pandu karanda tree (Crudia zeylanica) which was secretly cut and buried in the Daralwa area where the construction work of the first phase of the Central Expressway is being carried out, was exhumed in the presence of Acting Magistrate Indrani Attanayake and taken to Henarathgoda Botanical Garden for protection. Sri Lanka Latest News
At the time the case was recalled, lawyer Rasika Dissanayake, who represented the project department for the first phase of the construction of the Central Expressway, stated that since this was a tree on private land that had been taken over by the government, there was no authority to order its removal.
Lawyer Roshan Kahatapitiyapitiya, who appeared on behalf of the Antiquities Preservation Organization, stated that according to the powers assigned to the court, the tree has been ordered to be excavated and it cannot be challenged. The lawyer said that since all the laws on this matter have confirmed that this is a rare plant, the case regarding the tree being cut and buried secretly should be continued.
Accordingly, the Additional Magistrate ordered that the tree be removed before Acting Magistrate Indrani Attanayake. After that order, under the guidance of the officers of Gampaha and Bemmulla Police Stations, Gampaha Acting Magistrate Mrs. Indrani Attanayake ordered to take the tree out from its buried place.
However, wildlife officials say that since the branches of this plant were completely cut off, the possibility of regrowth is minimal.
