AG undertakes to update court on human-elephant conflict measures

Colombo, March 4 (Daily Mirror) - The Attorney General today gave an undertaking before the Court of Appeal to inform the Court of the progress on the steps taken by the authorities, including the implementation of a National Action Plan to mitigate the human-elephant conflict in the country.

State Counsel who appeared on behalf of the Attorney General, made these remarks when a writ petition filed seeking an order directing the authorities to detect and remove illegal electric fences, in order to ensure the protection and conservation of elephants, was taken up before the Court of Appeal.

Following the developments,  the petition was fixed for April 27 by a two-judge bench of the Court of Appeal comprising Justice (President) Rohantha Abeysuriya and Justice K. Priyantha Fernando. 

The petitioner, K. Priyadarshani, President of the Association for the Protection of Elephants and Tuskers, filed this petition, naming as respondents the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, M.G.C. Sooriyabandara, Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi, the Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board and several others.

Counsel Kalpanee Dissanayake appeared for the petitioner.