News
Illegal squatters removed from Deduru Oya estuary following court order
View(s):Pix and text by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
The illegal squatters who had been living in unauthorised buildings (houses) alongside the banks of the estuary of the Deduru Oya were removed by the Coast Conservation Department, according to a court order issued by the Chilaw Magistrate.
The squatters had set up illegal buildings, violating the 14th clause mentioned in Section 28(1) of the Coast Conservation Act. As such the department had instructed the squatters to stop their unauthorised constructions and remove the buildings. As the squatters failed to heed these instructions, officials of the Puttalam District Coast Conservation Office, following the advice of the Director General of the department, took the matter to the Chilaw Magistrate’s Court.
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- Police and Special Task Force security were deployed during the removal of illegal constructions.
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- Illegal constructions near the Deduru Oya estuary being removed
Although the court order to remove the illegal buildings near the estuary was obtained in September 2025, the operation to remove the houses was temporarily halted as people behaved violently during the demolitions. During the incident, nine persons were arrested by Chilaw Police, produced before court, and imprisoned for nearly a month.
However, on Wednesday, February 25, the illegal constructions near the Deduru Oya estuary were once again removed under police and Police Special Task Force security. Illegal fish sales establishments, dry fish sales shops, and residences at 14 locations were removed
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