By Sarah Hannan
The long-awaited extraordinary gazette notification approving the expansion of the Sinharaja conservation area was released yesterday (15).
Speaking to The Morning, Centre for Environmental Justice Executive Director Hemantha Withanage said: “Although the gazette was issued on 20 November 2019 by former President and Minister of Environment Maithripala Sirisena, the government printer could not publish it due to two pages of missing data. They have now released Gazette No. 2150/31 of 20 November 2019, which officially increases the Sinharaja conservation area from 11,000 to over 35,000 hectares.”
A total of 36,474.93 hectares was bound by the limit set forth in Schedules 1 and 2 of the said gazette notification from 11 November 2019.
Schedule 1 of the notification covers 15,030 geodesic co-ordinates of state land area of 31,148.65 hectares located within the Kalawana, Godakawela, and Kolonna Divisional Secretariats of the Ratnapura District in the Sabaragamuwa Province, the Kotapola Divisional Secretariat of the Matara District in the Southern Province, the Neluwa Divisional Secretariat of the Galle District in the Southern Province, and the Palindanuwara Divisional Secretariat of the Kalutara District in the Western Province of Sri Lanka.
Schedule 2 of the notification covers 1,587 geodesic co-ordinates of state land of 5,326.28 hectares located within the Nivithigala, Kahawatta, Godakawela, and Kalawana Divisional Secretariats of the Ratnapura District in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, action has been taken to transfer Dellawa, Thawalama, Morapitiya-Runakanda, Varathelgoda Mukalana, Neluketiya Mukalana, Delmella-Yatagampitiya, Ayagama, Karavita, Delwala, Kudumiriya, Masimbula, and Maguruganga to the proposed Sinharaja National Heritage Site.
The gazette notification was signed to increase the land area of the national heritage forest reserve to approximately 35,000 hectares by linking 13 proposed forest reserves around the Sinharaja National Heritage Reserve.
It was decided to consolidate the surrounding forests around the Sinharaja Forest and now all these forest systems are considered part of Sinharaja.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in a statement issued yesterday (15) extended their special thanks to former President Maithripala Sirisena for his attention in this regard, and also thanked all the conservationists, environmentalists, environmental organisations, field experts, the Department of Forest Conservation, and all other sectors who were committed to achieving this task.
