News
Human-elephant conflict: Throwing money at problem is of little use, says expert
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The government annually spent Rs. 100 million on ‘elephant thunder,’ a firecracker used to chase away elephants, well known elephant expert Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando said.
It was in addition to significant sums spent on minimising human-elephant conflict through schemes such as translocating problematic jumbos, elephant drives and electric fences, Dr. Fernando said.
“Farmers spend a lot of money and time, protecting their crops and store the harvest in their homes. Then elephants raid villages and damage their homes. It is during such attacks that humans are killed. 120 deaths of humans due to wild jumbo attacks were reported in 2019.”
Dr. Fernando said the wild elephants too were adversely affected by the conflict with humans and each year hundreds of elephants were killed in the most barbaric ways.
“Things that we do to minimise the human-elephant conflict like translocation, elephant drives and fences have not improved the situation although colossal sums are spent annually,”
Dr. Fernando added that for over 70 years, Sri Lankan officials had been following the recommendations of a committee appointed in the 1940s as regards how elephants should live in a particular area.
“However, the members of the committee noted that they were making those recommendations without data and further research should be done, but until recently officials had been blindly following the committee recommendations without doing the research,” he said.
Research showed that humans lived in 82% of the country and that elephants lived in 62%. Both lived side by side in 44% of the country. Thus, it was impossible to confine the elephants to areas devoid of humans, he said.
“Our approach has been very confrontational. Elephants are strong and intelligent creatures. If we are aggressive towards them, they will reciprocate. For example, whether an elephant would attack a human or not depends on its previous experience with humans,” he said.
Dr. Fernando added that electric fencing worked, but it was a tool whose effectiveness depended on the way it was used. “60 to 70% of electric fencing is either on Department of Wildlife or forest Conservation Department lands and 80 to 90% of these fences have elephants living on both sides of the fence, he said. This minimissed the effectiveness of fencing, he said. “For example, in the North Western Province there is some fencing but GPS data of collared elephants show that their foraging ranges have no bearing on the fences. In the South, these fences sometimes prevent elephants living in areas under the Forest Department from going into Department of Wildlife controlled areas. There are about 150 elephants in Kudaoya and Sellakataragama areas that can’t go into the Lunugamvehera Park due to fencing. But ironically there is no fencing between these elephants and human settlements,” Dr. Fernando said.
News
Presidential secretariat launches initiative to install sanitation facilities at fuel stations under “Clean Sri Lanka”
In a landmark move to promote public hygiene and accessibility, the Government on Wednesday (14) launched a national-level initiative to install modern sanitation facilities at fuel stations across the country under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme.
The official launch was held at the Presidential Secretariat, with the participation of top government officials and key industry stakeholders.
The initiative aims to transform fuel stations into clean, safe and inclusive spaces by providing essential sanitation infrastructure accessible to all segments of the public, particularly women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
An MoU was signed between the Presidential Task Force on Clean Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Energy and the island’s four major fuel providers: Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Lanka IOC PLC (LIOC), Sinopec Energy Lanka (Pvt) Ltd and RM Parks (Pvt) Ltd.
Under the three-year programme, 540 modern public sanitation facilities will be established at selected fuel stations islandwide. The timeline for rollout is as follows:
| Company | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | 25 | 50 | 50 |
| LIOC | 25 | 50 | 40 |
| Sinopec | 25 | 50 | 75 |
| RM Parks | 25 | 50 | 75 |
| Total | 100 | 200 | 240 |
By the end of 2025, at least 100 of these facilities are expected to be operational, providing clean and user-friendly amenities to travellers across the country.
Speaking at the event, Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake stated, “This is not just a policy commitment but a promise to build a healthier, cleaner and more dignified Sri Lanka. The Clean Sri Lanka initiative seeks to deliver long-term public services that meet modern hygiene standards.” He also highlighted that this partnership between the public and private sectors sets an example for delivering effective and sustainable services. Plans are in place to encourage further participation from large-scale private sector entities, such as retail chains, to extend the reach and impact of the programme.
The event was attended by Secretary to the Ministry of Energy, Prof. Udayanga Hemapala; Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Russell Aponsu; senior executives from the four fuel providers; and officials from the Clean Sri Lanka Presidential Task Force.
News
Financial assistance from the President’s Fund for next of kin of victims of the Kotmale bus accident disbursed through Divisional Secretariats
On the instructions of President Anura Kumara Disanayake, the funds allocated from the President’s Fund for those who lost their lives in the recent bus accident in the Garandiella area, Kotmale have now been forwarded to the relevant Divisional Secretariats.
Accordingly, a sum of Rs. 1 million will be provided to the next of kin of each individual whose life was lost in the accident, and the funds will be handed over to their respective family members.
These funds have been released to the Divisional Secretariats of the following areas—Tissamaharama, Lunugamvehera, Welimada, Haldummulla, Ella, Kundasale, Bamunakotuwa, Paduwasnuwara West, Polpithigama, Wanathawilluwa, Chilaw, Buttala, Thanamalwila, Wellawaya, Kanthale and Rambewa where the 22 individuals who lost their lives in the accident were residents.
Shasheendra, too, is to be questioned soon
Former Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has filed an anticipatory bail application in the Fort Magistrate’s court in a bid to prevent the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) from taking him into custody in connection with the ongoing investigation into the importation of a stock of allegedly substandard organic fertiliser from China during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali has asked the CIABOCt to present its position regarding the issue at hand to the court on May 19.
The CIABOC has asserted that the transaction caused Sri Lanka a loss of USD 6.9 mn.
The CIABOC arrested former Additional Secretary (Development) to the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mahesh Gammanpila on April 28, 2025, over his role in the deal with China’s Qingdao Seawin Biotech in 2021.
At the time Mahesh Gammanpila served as the Secretary to the State Ministry of Agriculture, Shasheendra Rajapaksa had been its Minister. Gammanpila is the current Chief Secretary of the Uva Provincial Council.
Aluthgamage had been the Cabinet Minister at the time the government finalised the questionable deal with the Chinese company.
CIABOC, on May 5, told court that the investigations were continuing and the ministers who decided on the importation of fertiliser from China, too, would be arrested and produced in court.
According to the CIABOC website, Mahesh Gammanpila has caused approximately USD 6.9 million loss to the government by issuing orders to open the suspended Letters of Credit to import the substandard organic fertiliser consignment from Qingdao Seawin Biotech, China, in 2021.
Although Fort Magistrate granted bail to Gammanpila on May 5, he continued to be in remand as he couldn’t meet the bail conditions. The court has also imposed a travel ban on him. (SF)
NOC issue, fixture clash put Mustafizur’s IPL participation in doubt
Presidential secretariat launches initiative to install sanitation facilities at fuel stations under “Clean Sri Lanka”
Financial assistance from the President’s Fund for next of kin of victims of the Kotmale bus accident disbursed through Divisional Secretariats
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