Govt. allocates Rs. 517 m to develop 5 botanical gardens

The Government has allocated a total of Rs. 517 million to develop five botanical gardens in the country within next year.

The five botanical gardens that will be developed next year include Peradeniya, Gampaha, Hukgala, Seethawaka and Mirijjawila. The Royal Botanic Gardens Peradeniya (1821), Hakgala Botanic Gardens (1861) and Henarathgoda Botanic Gardens, Gampaha (1876) were established by the British while Mirijjawila Dry Zone Botanic Gardens, Hambantota and Seethawaka Wet Zone Botanic Gardens, Avissawella were opened to the public in 2013 and 2015 respectively as new botanic gardens designed by local experts.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said the Government has recognised the importance of developing these botanical gardens to attract tourists to showcase the vast biodiversity and floriculture Sri Lanka has and to make these places popular in their travel itineraries in future.

“Botanic gardens provide an opportunity for leisure where plants from around the world depict the diversity and beauty of the plant kingdom. Moreover, they share knowledge and expertise in conservation, biodiversity and floriculture,” he said. Accordingly, the Government has allocated Rs. 177.1 million to develop Peradeniya, Rs. 60.5 million for Gampaha, Rs. 63.5 million for Huggala, Rs. 25.58 for Seethawaka and Rs. 24.2 million for Mirijjawila botanical gardens’ development. In addition, Rs. 47 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure facilities for 500 flower growers. Further funds have also been allocated to develop the Meegalewa Harithapiyasa and its training centre on floriculture which will also operate as a plant propagation centre.

The Tourism Minister also said that he hopes to develop a strategic plan to develop these gardens and to make it more attractive for travellers.

The Government has directed the Department of National Botanic Gardens under the purview of the Tourism Ministry.

Close to 5,000 plant species have been conserved in the botanic gardens under the Department of National Botanic Gardens including rare plants, endangered plants from forests and endemic plants species found only in Sri Lanka. Besides the Botanic Gardens, the Medicinal Plant Garden, Ganewatta also contributes to conserve medicinal plants in Sri Lanka.