Heroic Forestry Officer Devani’s gift to Sinharaja

• At first she thought of growing a small forest on her land in Kegalle 

By Diana Udayangani   

Gampaha District Forest Officer Devani Jayathilaka has expressed her desire on Facebook to exchange the only block of land she owns with a land in Lankagama and gift it to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.   

Responding to the request from Devani, many have joined her, expressing their wishes to exchange their lands for lands in Lankagama for the same purpose.   

The Forest Officer recently engaged in a controversial strong argument with Sanath Nishantha a state minister in the present government, against a proposal to construct a playground, destroying an expanse of mangroves, in Negombo.   

She has made a post on her Facebook page asking for anyone willing to exchange a land from Lankagama in order to enable her to donate to it to the Sinharaja Reserve.   
Responding to a question she said, at first she thought of growing a small forest on her land in the Kegalle District. But now, she thinks it is more useful to assign a block of land to the Sinharaja Reserve by exchanging her land in Kegalle to one in Lankagama.   

• She also says that as it is not possible for her to do anything to protect the Sinharaja Forest Reserve while engaged in duties in the Gampaha District, she has taken this decision. 
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