President orders expansion of Wilpattu National Park

President Maithripala Sirisena has given instructions to relevant authorities to issue a gazette notification declaring a larger wildlife reserve, including the surrounding forest area which is not under the purview of the Department of Wildlife, further expanding the forest area that encompasses the Wilpattu National Park. 

Furthermore, the President has requested expeditious implementation of a program for continuous aerial monitoring of forests - including the Wilpattu National Park - with the modern technology. 

The President gave these instructions during a special meeting with officials of the Ministry of Environment at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.

President Sirisena further instructed officials to enforce the law against the persons who are responsible for the destruction of forests, irrespective of their social status. He further said that he would request the Judicial Service Commission to fully implement penalties and sentences within the existing laws against deforestation and forest degradation.

He also told the officials to appoint a special investigation team to look into the allegations leveled by some sections of society regarding deforestation taking place in the districts of Puttalam and Mannar.

The President said that this investigation team should comprise of officials from the Ministry of Environment, Department of Forest Conservation and the Department of Wildlife Conservation, representatives of the environmental organisations as well as journalists. 

During the meeting, officials apprised the President that there is no forest degradation taking place in the Wilpattu National Park. Incidents emphasised by the media and the environmental organisations are taking place beyond the demarcated areas of Wilpattu National Park as a result of permission given in 2007 by the previous Government to facilitate resettlement projects.  

Nevertheless, if any illegal forest degradation occurs in those areas, the President has instructed the officials to enforce the law against them. Officials are further tasked with implementing a special program to identify land outside the forest areas for the purpose of resettlement.

Officials pointed out recently that they have taken take legal actions against two people who were caught with equipment, including a backhoe, during a raid conducted in the Musali Divisional Secretariat in Mannar.

Secretary to the President P. B. Abeykoon, Ministry Mahaweli Development and Environment Secretary Udaya R. Senevirathne, Ministry of Sustainable Development and Wildlife Secretary R. M. D. B. Meegasmulla, Additional Secretary L. J. M. G. C. Bandara, Central Environmental Authority Director General K. H. Muthukudaarachchi, Wild Life Conservation Deputy Director Manjula Amararathna and other officials participated at this meeting.