Nearly 1,500 acres of land in the Galgamuwa Divisional Secretariat Division of the Kurunegala District, have been used by a number of private businesses for economic crop cultivation, mineral extraction, and excavation of  soil.

Several environmental organizations had filed a petition before the Supreme Court requesting the suspention of the activities, stating that environmental damages have been caused due to the forest clearings carried out there and that the human-elephant conflict in the North Western Province has been aggravated.

In delivering its judgment regarding the said petition, the Supreme Court has ordered that the entire area, including residual forest parts, incorporating the extent of 55 hectares of lands cleared in that manner, should be declared as a sanctuary or an elephant management reserve under Section 2(2) of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.

According to the said order, a joint survey conducted by the Survey Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation has identified an extent of 682 hectares of land to
be declared as a wildlife sanctuary.

Accordingly, with the agreement of the Irrigation Department, the Cabinet has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to declare the said land area of  682 hectares as the Naakolagane Sanctuary under the provisions of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, incorporating the maximum water limit of the nearby Palukadawala Tank.

Considering the proposals forwarded by the District Coordination Committees, approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 20-07-2026 to appoint a committee under the chairmanship of an Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to take further steps and submit recommendations regarding taking over the roads that do not belong to the Road Development Authority and are currently maintained under Provincial Councils or Local Government Institutes.

Taking into account the recommendations submitted by the aforementioned committee, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to take further steps for upgrading the said roads  and to declare them as national highways, after examining fundamental qualifications, technical potential, and relevant criteria.

The Cabinet has approved the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to enter into an agreement with the Asian Development Bank to obtain  the  policy-based
financial facility of US$ 50 million provided by the Regular General Capital Resources and US$ 50 million provided by the Concessional General Capital Resources of the Asian Development Bank for the Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Program (Sub-program 2)