News
Harsha accuses govt of planning to grab 500,000 hectares of forest cover for agriculture
Former UNF Minister Harsha de Silva yesterday said that the government was planning to obtain 500,000 hectares of forest with high biodiversity and vest those lands under the District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries for agricultural purposes.
This could be considered the biggest ever robbery of lands with a high density of biodiversity in the recent history. Dr. de Silva said.
“Rivers, canals, waterways flow through those lands and there are also archaeological sites in them,” De Silva pointed out.
He said that there was enough lands in the country for cultivation and it was a crime to acquire large chunks of forest cover for that purpose.
The former Minister said: “I am well aware of the need to develop enterprises in the country, but it is utterly foolish to destroy the environment in the name of development.”
Those forests which were around 50-years-old with a high biodiversity and home to endemic species like the black leopards reported killed in the recent past were found in the above mentioned areas, De Silva said.
Dr. de Silva said the development of a country did not mean the construction of highways and high-rise buidlings alone; its envirionment, too, had to be conserved.
News
Establishment of an Institutional Framework to Inagurate Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority
Policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 08.06.2026 to establish the Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority for identification and
execution of a formal and long – lasting remedy to secure the central hills including the upper hydro catchment areas enabling them to sustain amidst extreme weather conditions
due to natural calamities and human activities as well as to be used for the sustainable development of the country.
Accordingly, a concept paper has been prepared including
institutional structure, activities, powers, active subject area as well as administrative and coordination mechanism for the proposed authority by an expert technical committee appointed by the Secretary to the President.
Based on the said concept paper, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the President to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill including legal provisions required for the establishment of Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority.
News
Introduction of Flora and Fauna (Regulation of actions of the Indigenous Community within the nominated areas) Regulations
With the objective of securing the traditional livelihood and the eco system of the indigenous community, it has been recognized the necessity of introducing a formal regulation methodology to secure their engagement in livelihood activities by being more sensitive to the existing laws.
Thereby, the Fauna and Flora (regularizing) regulations under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (Authority 469) have been prepared so that nominated activities within the prescribed area to a member of the indigenous community
who has been registered for securing the rights acquired from law or custom or usage or traditional stance to execute an act within a certain state land that is fundamental to the survival of the indigenous community permission can be granted
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the said regulations in the government gazette notification and thereby submit to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Latest News
M. M. D. J. Senarathne, appointed Director General of the Department of National Botanical Gardens
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to appoint M. M. D. J. Senarathne, who is the senior most officer in Grade I of Sri Lanka Scientific Service se
Establishment of an Institutional Framework to Inagurate Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority
Introduction of Flora and Fauna (Regulation of actions of the Indigenous Community within the nominated areas) Regulations
M. M. D. J. Senarathne, appointed Director General of the Department of National Botanical Gardens
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