Colombo, Oct. 13 (Daily Mirror) - The Cabinet has approved a proposal to declare 682 hectares of land in the Galgamuwa Divisional Secretariat Division in Kurunegala as the Nakolagane Wildlife Sanctuary under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
The move follows a Supreme Court order directing that the entire area, including approximately 55 hectares of cleared land and the remaining forest areas, be declared a sanctuary or an elephant management reserve under Section 2(2) of the Ordinance.
The land, which spans nearly 1,500 acres, had been forested for a long period before several private companies used parts of it for commercial crop cultivation, mineral mining and soil excavation.
Several environmental organisations filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking an order to halt forest clearing, claiming that the activities had caused environmental damage and aggravated the human-elephant conflict in the North-Western Province.
Following the court order, a joint survey conducted by the Survey Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation identified 682 hectares for declaration as a wildlife sanctuary.
The Cabinet approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Environment, with the concurrence of the Irrigation Department. The proposed sanctuary's boundaries also take into account the maximum water level of the nearby Palukadawala Tank.