Ditwah’s wake: National parks, botanical gardens under reconstruction
The Environment Ministry has stated that several key national parks and botanical gardens remain under reconstruction and they cannot confirm when they will reopen to the public.Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody, speaking to The Daily Morning, explained that assessments are ongoing. “We haven’t calculated the amount of wild animals in the affected sanctuaries and the sanctuaries themselves are damaged too,” he said. “In Wilpattu, bridges and trenches have been damaged. Hence, there is no date we can say so far as when all the national parks and botanical gardens will be open for the general public. We are trying to do that as soon as possible.”
The recent floods impacted Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, Seethawaka, and Gampaha, as well as National Parks including Yala and Wilpattu. While some national parks have since reopened, conditions at Udawalawa and Horton Plains, along with estimates of affected animal populations in other parks, have not yet been fully reported.