LANDSCAPE AND AESTHETICS ASPECTS

Volume One : ADB Section

3.0 Exiting Envionment !n" #ite De#ci$tion.
The ADB Section (Funded by Asian development bank) of the final trace of the
southern highway are belonging to the atara and !alle District" The ADB Section
defined as #urundugahahathakma ( $%$$$) to !odagama ( &'%($$km ) The road
)onstruction works are initiated in the ADB Section" The aesthetics aspects can be
discussed under main thee parts"
$'" *isual +ntrusion and landscape
$," -istoric and archeological monument"
$." /laces of worships and religious interests"
3.3.% Ae#t&etic# !#$ect#
3.3.%.' Vi#u!l Intu#ion !n" l!n"#c!$e
The e0isting 1uality of the landscape charactor of the ADB section of the rural2
rustic simple unsophisticated2 semi urban and average or low in its scenic value
when compared with other areas in Sri lanka" But there are four significant very
scenic beautiful places" (Fig 3 Apendi0 *ol4$'")
(
Akurugoda 4 (5%5$$ km
From
#urundugaha
(
#okmaduwa 4 ('%$$$ km
(
#abaragala 4 .6%($$ km
(
7eliketiya 4 .,%8$$ km
The /roposed final road trace lies in 9peneplane ': thought to be the oldest land
formation which is an out4come of centuries of sub aerial weathering bedded within
it is the scarcely perceptible mountain range seen as a gently undulating landscape
(Fig" 3, ; Ap" *ol3 $'") conse1uent rivers i"e" rivers though the area" !inganga2 and
<ilwala ganga is the main rivers in the ADB Section" All the riverbeds are the very
thick vegetation and water tolerant species"
3.3.%.) Hi#toic!l !n" !c&eologic!l monument
+nformation collected from department of archeology and other sources revealed
that all the historic and archeological monuments found in the ADB /ro=ect area are
found in temples Dewala2 and churches2 and therefore fall into the category of
places of worship and religious interest too" According to the department of
archeology fifty years old temples are considered as the archeological monument"
Field studies in the ADB pro=ect area confirmed these findings"
<o of archeological monuments along the final trace $5
Affected archeological monuments along the final trace $'
>eduction of the archeological monuments due to deviations $,
'
The mostly affected archeological monuments are marked ( Fig 4 Ap" vol4$'") at
the appendi0 volume +
3.3.%.3. Pl!ce# o* +o#&i$ !n" ,eligiou# Intee#t
Field Studies were carried out to collect information about places of worship and
religious interest along the final trace of the ADB Section with concerning
deviations"
The original >DA Trace2 and combined trace area covered from the past ?+A report
in march '@@@2 done by Aniversity of oratuwa" And individual field studies were
carried out to the !alle 3 port access" The information gathered is indicated in
maps2 schedules2 with detailed information and summary tables"
<o of >eligious places in ADB final trace '(
<o of Directly affected religious places $6
<o of partly affected religious places $(
<o of religious places in the deviation $(
%.3.%. Ae#t&etic Ae#$ect
%.3.%.' Vi#u!l Intu#ion !n" l!n"#c!$e
The ADB Section of the highway has been initiated now" The pro=ect itself caused
negative or positive impacts on the aesthetic appearance of the new structures
appearing in the area" The most significant rock out crops are e0posed at
#abaragalakanda2 adewalakanda2 and Akuratiya area" Attention to aesthetic
appearance of the new structures and surface of the earth cuts are important in order
to maintain the 1uality of the environment2 avoiding loss of rural B countryside B
wilderness 1uality of the e0isting environment"
During the construction activities2 the following impacts are anticipated"
( Damage to *egetation
( Damage to topsoil"
( ?rosion of sites due to e0cavation"
( Dust2 Acoustics2 *ibrations
( Storage of material in the roadsides"
( Disturb the e0isting circulation of the villages
( Disturb the animal behavior (Birds and )ows)
( )hanged the environmental sensitivity near the water bodies due to bridge
construction eg; !inganga river crossing at Baddegama"
( During operational activities2 the following activities could be anticipated"
( ?ncroachment of historic B cultural monuments
( Acoustics
( )irculation to sites 3 pedestrian and vehicular
( *isual intrusion by structures and billboards that may come by the road side
,
( Disturbance to the landscape charactor B 1uality of the rural living pattern"
( Disturbance the roadside lights to the rural natural landscape"
%.3.%.) Hi#toic !n" Ac&eologic!l -onument#
As mentioned in chapter . sections 6", all historic and archeological monuments in
the ADB Section are found in temples2 Dewala and churches" As such this section is
covered under section 6".
%.3.%.3. Pl!ce# o* +o#&i$ !n" ,eligiou# Intee#t.
The anticipated environmental impacts on the places of worship and religious
interest would be
( Dust2 acoustics and vibration during construction period
( Acoustics during the operational stage
( )hanges in 1uality and charactor of the religious environment"
( Disturb the naturally forming worshiping places (>oad side trees) near the
-ighway and access roads"
( Disturb the conte0tual dominancy of the worshiping places due to huge road
structures"
.
ADB . SECTION
0'. /iel" Vi#it#
D!te o* Vi#it /iel" 0o1 C!ie" Out
$' ,$$( B $@ B $6 /reliminary site Cbservation +dentify important place to be further
study
$,
$.
,$$( B '$ B '&2 '5 )overed the Field work from !odagama to #ananke
,$$( B '$ B ,, Studied >eligious interesting place D environmental sensitive place
up to #urundugaha
$6 ,$$( B '$ B ,. Study and collected data along the !alle /ort access road
$( ,$$( B '' B '. +nformal sites visit at heavy rainy day
0). -eeting# 2 Con#ult!tion# :3
Date of
eeting
/ersonal met Details of Discussion
$' ,$$(B$@B$( !alle >egional Director of
Archeology r" Senerath
Disanayake
Archeological sites D the boundary
$, ,$$(B'$B$5 Arct" Ashly De *os" >egulation of the archeological
conservation
$. ,$$(B'$B'& Sanath /admasiri
)hairman of the #ananke
?nvironmental Society
icro impact of the environment D
reconstructions stage
$6 ,$$(B'$B,, Adugama Dammike Sandarawala
>a=a aha *iharaya Baddegama
>eligious impact of the road construction
before D after
$( ,$$(B'$B,, r" <isahntha Eand ower of the
private coconut state at Baddegama
-istory at the that coconut state D impact
of the road trace
$& ,$$(B'$B,@ Dr" >a= Somadewa" Archeological D -istorical sites with the
new road trace D village settlements
6
TABLE PLACES O/ 0O,SHIP AND ,ELI4IO5S INTE,EST 3 ADB SECTION
I"enti*ic!tion
No.
N!me A""e## T6$e Age7 6e!# Ae!
covee"
78Ace#9
0&et&e
Ac&eologic!l
Intee#t o
Not
,em!1# Divi#ion
'B' Sidartaharamaya #urundugahahetepma2
?lpitiya
B" T" About &5 About ' < >oad trace is
very close this
temple ($m
from the temp
?lpitiya
,B' Sri Subadraramaya Thanbaddegama B" T" About '$$ About
."(
F ($m from
>oad trace
#arandeniya
(B' Siri <andarama
*iharasthanaya
Athkandura B" T" Cver 6$$ About
,"(
F 4 #arandeniya
'$B' Ageliya *iveka Senasanaya Agaliya B" T" 56 About & < #arandeniya
'.B' +sipathanaramaya ahagodakanda2
Baddegama"
B" T" About 5( About , < #arandeniya
'.B, /oorwaramaya /ilagoda2 Baddegama B" T" About 8$ About 6 < Baddegama
,8B' Sri Aswanththaramaya Thalgasyaya2 Akmimana B" T" Cver '($ About ' F Akmeemana
.$B' !alpoththe /oorana *iharaya +halagoda Akmeemana B" T" About 6$$ 5 F Akmeemana
65B' #udagoda Sri Sangaramaya *ahala #ananke2
+maduwa
B" T" About ($ About
$",
< 7eligama
('B' Sri /oorwaramaya #okmaduwa2 7eligama B" T" About '$$ About , F 7eligama
('B, Sri Sudarshanaramaya /adhili #okmaduwa2
#okmaduwa2
B" T" &$ ' < 7eligama
(5B' <agarukkaramaya Akuregoda2
Sulthanagoda
B" T" About '$$ About , F atara
(8B' Devalaya is on the road
boader
4 Devalaya 6$ 4 4 >oad trace
passes through
the Devalaya
atara
(@B' Sri !onaratne 7ivekaramay Sulthanagoda B" T" &$ . < atara
B" T" Buddhist Temple Summe6!
(
Total <o" of Buddhist Temple 3 '. <os"
Total <o" of Devalaya 3 $' <o"
Total <o" of Archeological +nterest 3 $5 < os"
Total <o" of Buddhist Temple Affected 4 $,
Total <o" of Devalaya Affected 4 $'
Total <o" of Affected Archeological Site 4 $'
&
ADB SECTION . P!t T+o
4!lle Pot Acce## : 3
The !alle /ort access is starting from e0isting !alle #ataragama road near the Dewala
village and connecting to the -igh4way at /innaduwa" The access >oad distance is $5 km" +t
is passing through the low4density rural villages that are <ugaduwa2 Bambaragoda2
#urunduwattha2 !alwetawatia and 7alahanduwa"
Vi#u!l in#tuction !n" L!n"#c!$e : 3
The study area about !alle port access laid2 low land water logging area are paddy lands"
There are no significant landscape 1ualities and features the initiative part of the access road
goes through the mass scale coir factory and abundant tea machinery parts industry"
According to the new !alle town master plan (That is prepared by Arct" Arshly De *os G after
tourism development and !alle )ricket )lub"
Therefore are visual intrusions and 1uality of the landscape of !alle port access road may be
totally change and high potential to develop"
Hi#toic !n" !c&eologic!l monument :3
There are no historic and archeological monuments within the access road corridor" But
according to the archeological department of the 9>umassala: and !alwetawatta villages
have some historic value" The !alwetawatta /urana >a=amaha *iharaya and its premises
have been declared as the historic sites"
Pl!ce# o* +o#&i$ !n" eligiou# intee#t
The ma=or religious groups are Buddhist and uslims" The uslims are centraliHed around
the #atugoda village" There are two mos1uesG one is closed to the port access road (Fig; Ap"
*ol4$')
Three Buddhist Temples are along the access >oad ;
$'" -eeralugoda2 /ushparamaya 5$$ m
$," Anagoda Sri >ewatha *iharaya .$$ m
$." !alwetawatta /urana *iharaya '$$ m

There is a newly plane Bo Tree near the anavila village" The people converted it as the
road side worshiping places"