Minister of Irrigation and Wildlife Conservation Pavithra Wanniarachchi has pledged her support for President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming Presidential Election.

Issuing a statement today, Minister Wanniarachchi said she will extend her support for President Wickremesinghe while remaining in the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).

Minister Wanniarachchi further said she had taken the decision on the demand of a majority of SLPP members from the Ratnapura District. (Newswire)

The post Minister Pavithra pledges support for President Ranil appeared first on Newswire.

Compared to the past two years, 2024 is expected to see a significant increase in the number of local and foreign tourists visiting attractive destinations managed by the Department of Forest Conservation, Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said.

The Minister of Wildlife, Forest Resources Conservation, and Irrigation said 289,405 tourists visited these destinations in 2022 and the number rose to 444,053 in 2023, while 364,521 tourists have already visited in the first six months of 2024 alone.

She further said among these visitors, 19.8% were foreign tourists in 2022 and this percentage increased to 27.8% in 2023 and has reached 40% so far in 2024.

Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi revealed that to strengthen the economy by earning foreign exchange, the ministry has prepared regulations to uplift the eco-tourism industry, obtained Parliament’s approval, and made the necessary legal amendments.

Following are some of the measures taken by the Ministry of Wildlife, Forest Resources Conservation, and Irrigation to uplift the eco-tourism industry in Sri Lanka;

• National Parks & Forest Reserves-

In 2023, the 2,500-hectare Gal Oya National Park was opened to the public as a new tourist destination. Additionally, an information Centre was established at the entrance gate of the Kudava Dorana ela in Sinharaja Forest, drawing more visitors. In 2024, the Manigala Forest Lodge was built in the Ilukkumbura area of the Knuckles forest reserve, and a bicycle path was opened in Udawattakele, Kandy for tourists. This year also saw the opening of the Bandarawela Falls Lodge and Galwila Ecological Park in the Puttalam district.

To address the sanitary issues faced by foreign tourists, dedicated sanitary facilities have been established exclusively for foreign passport holders at popular tourist destinations such as Sinharaja, Kanneliya, Hurulu, Knuckles, and Udawattakele. Additionally, an online ticket reservation system named “Day Visitor E-Permits” is now available for Yala, Udawalawe, Horton Plains, Kaudulla, Minneriya, and Wilpattu National Parks.

• Mangrove ecosystems

Special emphasis has been placed on the restoration of mangrove ecosystems, and Sri Lanka’s efforts have received international recognition. Over the past two years, Sri Lanka has planted 326 hectares of mangroves, and this year, Sri Lanka was honoured with the United Nations Flagship Award for its contributions to mangrove restoration during the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

• Department of National Zoological Gardens

The Department of National Zoological Gardens under the ministry was also adversely affected by the country’s economic crisis. Although revenue was low during those years, the department earned Rs.1, 089.97 million in 2023. By the end of June 2023, revenue reached Rs.436.71 million, and by the end of June 2024, it had increased to Rs.728.60 million, representing a 66% growth compared to the previous year.

• State Timber Corporation

The State Timber Corporation is expected to record a net profit by the end of the year, thanks to the revenue of Rs.2, 000 million achieved so far in 2024. 

• Human – wild elephant conflict 

The measures taken to control the elephant menace, a significant issue in Sri Lanka, helped reduce human and wild elephant deaths starting in 2023. 

To support this effort, over 4,700 workers have been hired to maintain the existing 5,390 km of electric fencing. 

The ministry also plans to conduct a survey on the country’s elephant population for the first time in 13 years within the next two months. Moreover, the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance has been amended, and new laws have been introduced to combat wildlife crimes more effectively. (Newswire)

The post Sri Lanka sees surge in tourism due to Eco-Friendly initiatives appeared first on Newswire.

The Facebook page of Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation of Sri Lanka, Pavithra Wanniarachchi has reportedly been compromised following a cyber attack. 

The official Facebook page of the minister now contains videos related to various content, including online games. 

It is assumed that the Facebook page had fallen victim to the cyber attack around last evening.

No official statement has been made from the Minister’s team as yet on the cyber attack. (NewsWire)

The post Sri Lankan Minister’s Facebook page hacked? appeared first on Newswire.

The Ministry of Finance has approved the deployment of 4,500 multi-task development officers to aid elephant-fence conservation efforts within the Ministry of Wildlife.

Minister of Wildlife & Forest Resources Conservation Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi said no new employees will be recruited for this purpose. 

She further said that the approved multi-purpose development officers are already engaged in elephant fence conservation efforts.

The minister also revealed that the demarcation of forest boundaries, which is part of the project aimed at increasing the country’s forest coverage to 32% of the total land area, is anticipated to be finalized this year.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), Minister Wanniarachchi made these remarks during a news conference held at the Presidential Media Centre today (Mar 11).

Stating that the International Day of Forests falls on March 21, the minister said, “Concurrently, efforts are underway to distribute one plant to each household across the island, with forest extension officers being deployed for this purpose”.

She further said that a program has already been initiated to boost the forest population while safeguarding water catchment areas. This program, commencing from Ratnapura district, is aimed to be extended nationwide.

Additionally, the demarcation of forests is slated for completion this year in connection with the initiative to raise the forest coverage to 32% of the total land area. This falls under the purview of the Department of Forest Conservation within our Ministry.

The minister went on to note that Uma-oya has achieved successful completion of the first phase and this phase enables the provision of new water to 20,000 acres of land. Test-level rehearsals are underway to supply 45 MCM (million cubic meters) of drinking water to the Lower Uma-oya area and to generate 120 MW (megawatts) of hydropower. Notably, 120 megawatts of hydropower generation are also set to be integrated into the national power system.

Furthermore, 7,500 hectares have been equipped with irrigation facilities for vegetable and fruit farming through the Minipe anicut project during the Yala and Maha seasons. To achieve this, a 3.5-metre Minipe anicut has been constructed, and a canal spanning 74 kilometres to transport water has been fully prepared. Approximately 15,500 families stand to benefit from these developments.

Additionally, preparations are underway to supply water to 350 small tanks and 7 medium-sized tanks situated 90 kilometres northwest of the Wa-Madilla Reservoir through the Northwest Canal. A two-kilometre tunnel is set to be built within the canal, alongside renovations planned for two main tanks. This initiative aims to furnish safe irrigation water and 10 MCM of drinking water to 75,000 families.

Minister Wanniarachchi also said that a 96-kilometre canal is currently under construction, stretching from the Moragahakanda Reservoir to Hurulu Lake and Mahakanadarava, aimed at transporting irrigation water to the North Central Province. This ambitious project includes a 28-kilometre tunnel. Once completed, it will provide safe water facilities to 2,300 hectares of land and benefit 175,000 families.

The canal will have the capacity to supply water to 1,300 small tanks, while also facilitating the provision of 40 MCM (million cubic meters) of drinking water. (NewsWire)

The post 4,500 Multi-Task Development Officers to engage in elephant conservation efforts appeared first on Newswire.