The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to declare 682 hectares of forest land in the Nakolagane area of Kurunegala District a wildlife sanctuary under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
The proposal was submitted by the Minister of Environment.
The land, located in the Galgamuwa Divisional Secretariat Division of Kurunegala District, comprises an area of nearly 1,500 acres that had remained densely forested for an extended period.
However, several private companies had allegedly encroached on the forest land in recent years for activities including commercial crop cultivation, large-scale mineral extraction and earth excavation.
The destruction of the forest had contributed to a significant escalation of the human-elephant conflict in the North Western Province. The loss of traditional elephant corridors and feeding grounds had placed the lives and property of nearby villagers at considerable risk.
In response to the environmental destruction and the authorities’ alleged failure to take adequate measures to address the human-elephant conflict, several environmental organisations jointly filed a fundamental rights petition before the Supreme Court.
After hearing the petition, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling directing that the entire area, including the remaining forest patches and 55 hectares of land cleared by the companies, be promptly declared a wildlife sanctuary or an elephant management reserve under Section 2(2) of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
Following the court order, a joint field survey conducted by the Survey Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation identified 682 hectares of land to be included within the proposed sanctuary.
With the concurrence of the Department of Irrigation, the designated area will also incorporate the maximum water level boundary of the nearby historic Palukadawala Wewa.
Accordingly, the 682 hectare area is expected to be officially declared the Nakolagane Sanctuary through a Gazette notification under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
