The Cabinet has approved a proposal to declare Namal Uyana, the country’s largest ironwood forest, as a national heritage site.
The site, which spans about 602 hectares and has already been designated a protected forest, is considered one of the most significant locations of environmental and archaeological value.
The proposal was based on recommendations by an expert subcommittee on identifying national heritage sites, which cited the area’s unique combination of geological, ecological and cultural significance.
Namal Uyana is home to a rare pink quartz mountain range, regarded as an important geological formation with distinctive mineral and scientific value. The area also supports a dry zone forest ecosystem and contains landscapes linked to ancient Buddhist monastic settlements. (NewsWire)