• In the guise of Human-Elephant Conflict mitigation, trenches are being proposed to facilitate natural resource extraction from Protected Areas and soil and sand smuggling

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda 

The Attorney General’s Department yesterday informed Supreme Court that the Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife has given an undertaking to suspend operation of the elephant trenches project, digging of elephant trenches in wildlife National Parks. 

The Attorney General’s Department made this revelation when a Fundamental Rights petition against the elephant trenches project was taken up before Supreme Court.

This petition is to be taken up for support on May 31 for interim relief.

Centre for Environmental Justice had filed this petition naming State Minister of Wildlife Protection Wimalaweera Dissanayake, Director General of Wildlife Conservation, Central Environmental Authority, Inspector General of Police, Attorney General and several others as respondents.

The petitioner state that in the guise of Human-Elephant Conflict mitigation, trenches are being proposed to facilitate natural resource extraction from Protected Areas and soil and sand smuggling.
The petitioners further state that the digging of trenches has already commenced at Udawalawa National Park and Lunugamwehera National Park with plans for trenches to be dug along electric fence lines, without any feasibility study, EIA, Climate Impact Assessment, Archaeological Impact Assessment or recommendations by the relevant experts.

The petitioner further stated that it is reported that large scale sand smuggling operation is being carried out under the guise of digging trenches for wild elephants in the Manampitiya and Karapola reserves on the border of the Flood Plains National Park which is under the management of the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
The petitioner states that the trenches in wildlife landscapes impede the movement of all wildlife. The petitioner said elephants falling into deep and narrow trenches will face severe injuries, including death.
Senior Counsel Ravindranath Dabare appeared for the petitioner.