Elephant Habitat Protected in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka’s northwest Kurunegala District, forest grounds managed by an ancient Buddhist temple were cleared, destroying valuable elephant territory. ELAW partners celebrated in May when Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ordered the Director General of Wildlife Conservation to replant and restore the forest surrounding the Nakolagane Purana Raja Maha Viharaya temple, with expenses borne by the temple’s trustee.

“This landmark judgment ensures that the ‘polluter pays’ when damaging public and private forest lands, including critical elephant pathways,” says Dr. Ravindranath Dabare, co-founder, Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ).

Dr. Dabare and Savanthi Ponnamperuma filed suit on behalf of CEJ, alleging that approximately 1,500 acres of forest in the vicinity of the Nakolagane Purana Rajamaha Viharaya temple were illegally cleared by the temple monk.

CEJ reports that the monk distributed temple lands among influential individuals and companies, for commercial agriculture, granite quarries, and soil excavation.

Electric fences were erected around the commercial farms, disrupting elephant corridors, forcing elephants to move through villages and cultivated lands during seasonal migration.

“This increased crop raids and conflict with villagers,” says Dr. Dabare, who thanked his friends in the ELAW Network for “remarkable legal and scientific assistance made available through the ELAW website” to help him win the case to protect forests, elephants, and local communities.

For more information, see:
Daily Mirror: Supreme Court orders replantation near Nakolagane Viharaya

Congratulations CEJ on this landmark victory!

Dr. Lalanath de Silva
Executive Director
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide