Sri Pada revered as one of Sri Lanka’s most sacred pilgrimage sites, is also among the country’s most environmentally sensitive ecosystems.

During each pilgrimage season, hundreds of thousands of devotees ascend the mountain, placing immense pressure on its fragile forests, water sources and wildlife.

Against this backdrop, the government has introduced a series of decisive new measures aimed at significantly reducing biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste generated during the Sri Pada pilgrimage season.

The proposals, presented by the Ministry of Environment, have now received Cabinet approval, marking a major policy intervention to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Sri Pada protected area.

Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi told The Island that these steps were long overdue and essential to ensure that religious devotion does not come at the cost of irreversible environmental damage.

“Sri Pada is not only a place of deep spiritual significance, it is also an environmentally hypersensitive zone of national importance,” Dr. Patabendi said. “For years, we have witnessed massive accumulations of plastic waste after the pilgrimage season—polluted streams, degraded forest land and long-term harm to biodiversity. This situation can no longer be ignored.”

Under the new decision, a range of plastic and polythene-based products—already restricted nationally—will be completely banned within the Sri Pada area. These items cannot be sold by vendors nor carried by pilgrims into the zone.

The banned items include polythene food wrappers (lunch sheets), shopping bags and single-use food containers; single-use straws, stirrers, plates, cups, spoons, forks and knives; and single-use plastic water and beverage bottles with a capacity of less than one litre.

“The intention is not to inconvenience devotees,” the Minister stressed. “Pilgrimage is a sacred act. But a sacred journey must also respect nature. You cannot worship with one hand and destroy the environment with the other.”

The new regulations also strictly prohibit the disposal of packaging from food, medicine or any other goods that contain polythene or plastic within the environmentally sensitive zone. These rules apply equally to pilgrims and traders operating along the Sri Pada routes.

Authorities have warned that violations will be met with firm legal action, as enforcement agencies have been instructed to treat environmental offences in the Sri Pada area with zero tolerance during the pilgrimage season.

“This is about discipline and responsibility,” Dr. Patabendi said. “Protecting Sri Pada requires a change in behaviour. Laws alone are not enough unless people understand why they matter.”

In a significant policy shift, responsibility for managing waste generated from products sold along the Sri Pada routes has been placed squarely on shop owners. Vendors will now be held accountable for the collection and proper disposal of plastic-related waste resulting from the items they sell.

“This follows the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility,” the Minister explained. “If you sell a product, you must take responsibility for the waste it creates. Shop owners can no longer turn a blind eye to plastic pollution simply because the customer walks away.”

Environmentalists and conservation experts have welcomed the move, noting that unmanaged waste has been one of the most persistent threats to the Sri Pada ecosystem, which forms part of the central highlands and plays a critical role in water catchment and biodiversity conservation.

Dr. Patabendi emphasised that while the government has a duty to protect Sri Pada through policy and enforcement, the success of these measures ultimately depends on public cooperation.

“This is not just a regulation—it is a collective responsibility,” he said. “If pilgrims, traders and authorities work together, Sri Pada can be preserved for generations to come. Our goal is to ensure that future pilgrims inherit a sacred mountain that is clean, healthy and alive.”

As Sri Lanka seeks to balance religious tradition with environmental sustainability, the new Sri Pada regulations signal a clear message: protecting nature is not separate from faith, but an essential part of it.

By Ifham Nizam