Navy’s little-known ‘operation Mahogany’
Today, we talk much about tree planting and increasing forest cover in our country. How many trees have we planted? How many trees which we planted with much effort perish in a few months? This is something we should look into.
We are aware that following our much-publicised tree planting campaigns on National Tree Planting Day, only sign boards remain after a few months. What is important is not only to plant trees but also to look after them, especially during dry seasons so that they grow strong.
The Army Commander’s reforesting effort in Wilpattu area will reach fruition because the army personnel will look after the trees they plant. This will help expand the Wilpattu forest cover, which is under threat.
I was the Commander Northern Naval Area from April 5th, 2011 to October 4th, 2012. The Navy has to dominate the road from Kankasanturi (KKS) to Karainagar on our Main Supply Route (MSR). Only a few civilians were living on either side of the road during that time. We had another naval base SLNS Agbo along this road to secure the MSR. It was near Dambakolapatuna Viharaya, where Buddhists believe Therani Sangamitta set foot, carrying a sapling of the sacred Bo tree, under which Prince Siddhartha attained Buddhahood.
I gave a new task to the personnel at SLNS Agbo during the rainy season of 2011. That was to plant Mahogany saplings on either side of MSR.
Five hundred saplings were planted approx 15 metres apart. First they were protected against the sun and strong sea breeze. They were watered once every three days during the dry season.
It was a fairly complicated task due to a shortage of water. Sailors at SLNS Agbo were assigned to look after four saplings each. They undertook the new task enthusiastically. Some asked why we should plant trees in that area. Others assessed the commercial value of the mahogany timber in 25 years.
Our sailors serve in the North for one to one and a half years before being transferred. So, when sailors were transferred from SLNS Agbo, the responsibility for looking after the trees fell on their replacements. One thing we knew was that when those trees were fully grown, none of us would be in the Navy, or perhaps even among the living. However, it was not a concern to us. We wanted our project to be a success and the people to benefit from it.
Our ‘Operation Mahogany’ was a huge success. Trees started growing well and it was a very pleasant sight to see them on either side of the road from the Keeramalai junction, where the famous Naguleshwaran Hindu temple is situated to the Ponnali junction, where the Varadaraja Perumal Hindu temple or Maha Vishnu temple is located; it was there that Jaffna Mayor Alfred Durraiappa was shot dead on July 27, 1975.
About nine years on, there are fully grown 444 Mahogany trees along the road. In another 16 years or so they can be harvested by the people. Our tree planting project has an 88.8 percent success rate. I hope our Army Commander’s reforestation project in Wilpattu will be a 100% success.
By Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne
(Retired from Sri Lanka Navy) Former Chief of Defence Staff
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