Sri Lanka to gazette 20 forests covering 9,538 hectares as reserves

The Ministry of Environment has announced that 20 forests covering approximately 9,538 hectares will be gazetted as reserves tomorrow (26) under the “Wanaspathi” National Programme.

The forests are located across the Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Ampara, Badulla, Vavuniya and Anuradhapura districts, and will be formally declared as reserves through a Gazette notification.

The relevant Gazette notification is scheduled to be officially presented at the Sri Lanka Forestry Institute in the Sandathanna area  tomorrow, under the patronage of Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi.

The 20 areas to be declared as reserves are the Elgin Conservation Forest, Balangala, Bambaragala, Rathagala, Gasthuwela–Aliyakanda–Kadawelana, Senagamuwa, Mudugala, Hirissagala, Karandagollakumbura 02, Walandakumbura 02, Periyawattakulam 02, Periyamadu 02, Puliyankulama 02, Puthukulam 02, Vannivilankulam 02, Karawamatha, Kallikulama, Madawachchiya, Muskawa and Nagama forests.

The move is being carried out under the “Wanaspathi” National Programme, which is aimed at protecting the country’s forest system.

According to the Ministry, the present Government, through the Ministry of Environment and the Department of Forest Conservation, has already gazetted 93 forests as reserves.

With the addition of the 20 forests to be gazetted tomorrow, the Ministry said the total land extent covered by the forest reserves gazetted under the initiative will reach approximately 65,000 hectares. (Newswire)

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