– The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has raised concerns over plans to rebuild two elephant fences in the Nakolagane area despite a 2022 Supreme Court ruling on forest land and measures to address human-elephant conflict.CEJ Executive Director Hemantha Withanage said villagers had voluntarily removed their elephant fences, but the Department of Wildlife Conservation had recently been informed of plans to construct two fences again.He said elephant fences were still present in areas such as Ambawatta and Atharagalla, calling on the authorities to take prompt action to remove them where necessary and ensure the full implementation of the court ruling.The issue is linked to a legal case filed by the CEJ on behalf of local residents affected by human-elephant conflict and disputes over forest land in Nakolagane.

Withanage said the fourth directive of the 2022 Supreme Court ruling in case SCFR 350 recommended that the forest area identified in the Surveyor General’s map, together with 55 hectares of land used for paddy cultivation and chena farming, be declared a sanctuary or a managed elephant reserve under Section 2(2) of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.He said the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Ministry of Environment had jointly submitted a Cabinet paper proposing the declaration of more than 600 hectares as an elephant corridor or sanctuary.

According to a notification by the Ministry of Environment, the measures concern an area exceeding 4,000 hectares in Nakolagane, where residents had experienced elephant attacks. The land had previously been used for mango, jackfruit and coconut cultivation, as well as solar energy projects.Monks attached to the ancient Raja Maha Vihara had claimed that the land had been granted to them under a royal decree.Withanage said the North Western Province Environmental Authority, the Central Environmental Authority, the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Police had been officially informed of the matter.

He called on the relevant authorities to implement the court ruling and take the necessary measures to address human-elephant conflict while protecting the forest areas concerned.