A controversial road development project cutting through the Knuckles Conservation Forest — part of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO World Heritage Central Highlands — has sparked outrage among conservationists, who warn it could devastate one of the island’s most ecologically sensitive mountain ecosystems, said Sajeewa Chamikara of Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR).

Chamikara said that tourism operators and several safari jeep owners, in collaboration with Kandy District MPs E.M. Basnayake and Jagath Manuwarna, have reportedly secured approval to carpet and open an eight-kilometre forest trail between Thangappuwa and Corbett’s Gap for jeep safaris. The decision, facilitated at a meeting on August 22, 2025, by officials of the Land Use Policy Planning Department, was made despite the area falling within a legally protected conservation zone.

Construction is already underway on the section from Rangala to Thangappuwa, which lies outside the protected boundary. Once completed, the project aims to extend into the Knuckles forest reserve itself — widening paths, cutting slopes, and laying asphalt through the core zone.

Environmental experts warn the move is illegal under the Forest Ordinance and National Environmental Act, which prohibit land clearing, road construction, or development activities within conservation forests without environmental impact assessments and central approvals. Violators face imprisonment or heavy fines.

Chamikara said the initiative is being driven by a group of hoteliers and business owners in Thangappuwa and Rangala and several other local entrepreneurs.

He said that scientists had pointed out that the Knuckles-Dumbara range is home to numerous endemic species found nowhere else on Earth — including rare amphibians like the Dumbara shrub frog, unique reptiles such as the Dumbara horned lizard, and more than 30 endemic bird species. Any disturbance, they warn, could destroy critical microhabitats, increase temperatures, and accelerate species extinction.

Chamikara said that the project directly contradicts the government’s own “Prosperous Country, Beautiful Life” policy, which pledges to uphold ecological justice and protect sensitive zones. By supporting illegal development, MPs and officials are accused of violating these commitments and undermining public trust.

Conservationists urge the President and Environment Minister to immediately intervene to halt the project, stressing that the Knuckles range — the principal watershed of the Mahaweli River — is too valuable to be sacrificed for short-term commercial gain.

“This is not development. It is the destruction of a world heritage site,” Chamikara said.

Relevant ministers and officials were unavailable for comment as they were attending the budget debate in Parliament on Friday.