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Businessmen, politicians rape isolated forests of NWP aggravating elephant-human conflict – MONLAR

Published

5 years ago

2021/11/13

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Businessmen and politicians keep on clearing isolated forest areas in the North Western provinces and this is aggravating the human elephant conflict in the area in a dramatic way, Sajeewa Chamikara of the Movement for Land and Agriculture Reform (MONLAR) says.

Chamikara told The Island that in recent years there had been a significant spike in the human-elephant conflict in the dry zone mainly due to the massive expansion of maize and sugar cane cultivations in those areas, usually in swathes of cleared forest lands.

“The expansion of these large commercial agro enterprises has displaced elephants from their natural grazing areas and have obstructed their ability to move from one forest area to another. Thus, the elephants are compelled to raid human settlements for fodder, and this has led to many human and elephant deaths. The people affected by the human – elephant conflict are often those who are not responsible for the destruction of elephant havens. Poor farmers unable to cope up with the increasing threat from elephants are selling their lands to large companies,” he said.

Chamikara said that between 1990 and 2000, on average, 150 elephants and 40 humans died per year due to the human-elephant conflict. However, between 2010 and 2018, elephant deaths had increased to 275 and human deaths have increased to 80 per year. The situation became worse in 2019, when 406 elephants and 122 humans died due to the human – elephant conflict. In 2020, 307 elephants and 112 humans died.

Most recently swathes of forests had been cleared at places like Kiribathpelessa, Ehetuwewa, and Kurunegala, Chamikara said. That was the main catchment area of the Palukadawala Tank and was also the home to a large number of elephants. Those were also the nindagam of Nakolagane Raja Maha Vihara, he said.

“By late September about 50 acres had been cleared and another 700 acres given to several businessmen. No one had given these individuals any approval to clear these areas,” he alleged.

Chamikara said that in the Northwestern Province, a large number of elephants lived in isolated forest lands. Those animals spend the day in the forests and come out at night in search of food. Establishing farms by clearing the forest and near the tank will clearly lead to increased human-elephant conflict in the area, he said.

“There are around 5,000 acres of forest land in Nakolagane. There are about 25 tanks in these forests. This is not only a place where elephants feed, but it is also an elephant crossing. There are many tanks that are fed by the forests as well and they are vital for agriculture. The land being cleared belongs to the nindagama of Nakolagane temple,” Chamikara said.

He said that there were four settlements in the nindagama and that clearing up forests for commercial agriculture would greatly endanger those peasants. Already the misuse of lands in the nindagama had led to many issues.

“Many hectares of the nindagama has been cleared for commercial agriculture, to establish granite quarries, soil excavation, unauthorised settlements and the establishment of unsystematic elephant fences. Because of these developments, there has been a spike in human-elephant conflict and degradation of the soil, destabilising of the soil and a drop in ground water level,” he said.

Chamikara said that it was one of the many instances where land in the Northwestern province was being misused. Despite the obvious negative effects, none of the officials had done anything to stop those destructive practices.

“The clearing of these isolated forests are having a devastating impact. Everyone sees that, except those entrusted to act against such activities,” he said.

Seeveral laws too had been violated through those projects, Chamikara said. Almost all the projects violated the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO), no 02 of 1937, amended by Act no 22 of 2009. According to sub section 9 a (01) of the Act, one needs permission from the Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department to carry out any developmental activity within a mile of the border of any national park, he said.

According to sub section 9 a (02) of the Act says that to obtain permission from the Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department, one needs to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment based on National Environmental Act, no 47 of 1980. Sub section 10 (c) of the Act states a person or an organization that carries out any development activity of any description within a mile of the border of any national park “shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine of not less than fifteen thousand rupees and not exceeding fifty thousand rupees or to imprisonment of either description for a term not less than two years and not more than five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”

These also violate the Antiquities (Amendment) Act No. 24 of 1998. An Archaeological Impact Assessment needs to be obtained if one is constructing and reconstructing tanks, carrying out agricultural projects, clearing areas over two acres, and carrying out combined multipurpose development activities including housing, industries and infrastructure facilities of areas exceeding one hectare in extent. This is noted in gazette No. 1152/14 dated 04.10.2000 published under Section 47, read with Section 43(b), of the Antiquities (Amendment) Act, he says.

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US-assisted ‘Ice’ detection: NPC to examine IGP’s move to transfer drug-busting team

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

Kodithuwakku / Ekanayake

Senior DIG among those slated for transfer

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The National Police Commission (NPC) is expected to take up Police Headquarters recommendation to transfer a group of police officers responsible for a major ‘Ice’ bust at the Colombo port recently.

NPC sources told The Island that recommendation in respect of transfers was received last week. Sources said that though the NPC was scheduled to meet today (01), whether IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya’s recommendation would be discussed and decided today was not known.

Members of the NPC are retired High Court Judge Lalith Ekanayake (Chairman), K. Karunaharan, Dilshan Kapila Jayasuriya, A.A.M. Illiyas and Jayantha Jayasinghe

The IGP directed the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to probe those who carried out the 31 August, 2026 raid that resulted in the detection of 463 kgs of ‘Ice’ concealed in a container that arrived from Pakistan.

The US Embassy declined to comment on the probe though it declared that the largest ever narcotics detection was made on intelligence made available by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The officers investigated for what an authoritative Headquarters source called shortcomings and lapses on the part of the raiding party, belonged to the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB). Senior DIG Ranmal Kodituwakku who, on behalf of the CCIB, received information directly from the DEA, is among those Police Headquarters wanted to transfer.

CCIB carried out the raid after having obtained a search order from the Aluthgama Magistrate court. Among the suspects taken in this connection are three Pakistani nationals.

News

2027 Budget to be held from 12 Nov. to 14 Dec.

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

* First Reading of the Budget on 7 October

The Committee on Parliamentary Business has decided that the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill for the year 2027 (Budget Speech/presentation of Budget proposals) will take place on 12 November, followed by the Second Reading debate from 13 November to 14 December.

Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera said this had been decided at a meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business held recently under the chairmanship of Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.

Accordingly, the Appropriation Bill was scheduled to be presented to Parliament for its First Reading on 7 October, the Secretary General said.

It was also decided that the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill (Budget Speech) would be delivered by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Minister in charge of Finance, on Thursday, 12 November, 2026.

Thereafter, the Second Reading debate will be held for seven days, from 13 November to 20 November. Accordingly, the vote on the Second Reading will be held at 6.00 pm on 20 November.

Thereafter, the Committee Stage debate will be held for 19 days, from 21 November to 14 December , with the vote on the Third Reading of the Budget scheduled for 6.00 pm on 14 December.

During this period, the Budget debate will be held every day, including Saturdays, except on public holidays and Sundays. Parliament is scheduled to meet at 9.30 am on each of these days.

From 9.30 am to 10.00 am each day, time will be allocated for the Parliamentary business specified under Standing Order 22(1) to (6). Thereafter, five Questions for Oral Answers will be taken up from 10.00 am to 10.30 am, followed by one question under Standing Order 27(2) from 10.30 am to 11.00 am.

Accordingly, the debate is scheduled to be held from 11.00 am to 6.00 pm on all days, except the two days on which votes are scheduled to be taken, Motions at the Adjournment Time will be taken up for debate from 6.00 pm to 6.30 pm, based on a 50:50 time allocation between the Government and the Opposition, the Secretary General stated.

It was also approved that during the Second Reading debate, 60% of the debate time will be allocated to the Government and 40% to the Opposition, while during the Committee Stage debate, 40% will be allocated to the Government and 60% to the Opposition.

Furthermore, if a division is called for on an Expenditure Head, relating to a Ministry, the relevant vote will be held at 6.00 pm at the conclusion of the proceedings on the respective day.

News

CB Governor confident over timely disbursement of next IMF tranche; hands post-2027 programme decisions to govt.

Published

7 hours ago

2026/10/1

Sahan Weerasooriya

Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe

By Sanath Nanayakkare

Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe addressed queries on the nation’s IMF bailout programme yesterday and indicated that Sri Lanka expects to reach a Staff-Level Agreement with the Fund shortly, clearing the path for the next tranche of funding under the $3 billion EFF arrangement before the end of the year.

Answering questions on Sri Lanka’s economic path, after the current programme expires in March 2027, Dr. Weerasinghe clarified that seeking a follow-up IMF arrangement was entirely a policy decision for the government rather than the Central Bank, maintaining the institutional boundary between Central Bank operations and political decision-making.

The Governor remained firm in his projection that the national economy would expand by around 4 percent throughout 2026, demonstrating economic resilience, even amid external volatilities, such as high oil prices.

Dr. Weerasinghe expressed confidence in the domestic economy’s underlying momentum. While international financial institutions and multilateral agencies had pegged Sri Lanka’s growth prospects at more conservative levels, typically around 3.0 to 3.5 percent, he emphasised that CBSL’s projections are grounded in continuous analysis of real-time indicators.

“When you compare with several other agencies, their growth projections hover around 3 to 3.5 percent. However, the economy is already growing at around 4 percent. In our projections, the economy will maintain this growth rate of around 4 percent throughout the year,” Governor Weerasinghe said.

He noted that despite mid-year quarter adjustments due to volatile oil prices, real economic indicators, including steady credit expansion across the commercial banking sector and sustained industrial and service activity, indicate that the growth trajectory remains firmly on track above the 4 percent benchmark.

Reiterating the Central Bank’s primary mandate, Dr. Weerasinghe noted that monetary policy actions remained focused on anchoring inflation and curtailing excess demand to prevent runaway price spikes.

On inflation targeting, the Governor mentioned that CBSL had submitted a technical recommendation to the Ministry of Finance to maintain an inflation target of 5 percent (+ or – 2 percent band) over the next three-year horizon.

Responding to inquiries on differing target forecasts announced by external agencies such as the IMF, Dr. Weerasinghe underscored that the Central Bank’s recommendations stem strictly from domestic technical and empirical evaluations.

“Our recommendation is based on pure technical and empirical analysis considering the country’s specific situation. We have recommended maintaining a 5 percent target for the next three years, and the government has accepted this recommendation,” he added.

Regarding foreign exchange management, the Governor noted that the Central Bank continues its active market intervention strategy aimed at smoothing out undue exchange rate volatility rather than resisting natural market trends.

Dr. Weerasinghe concluded that while the short-to-medium-term outlook remained assured, the combination of a steady 4 percent growth target and proactive fiscal measures would firmly anchor macroeconomic stability through 2026 and beyond.