Three elephant corridors opened to address human-elephant conflict

Colombo, July 6 (Daily Mirror) - The government has cleared three major elephant corridors and established a special expert committee to formulate long-term solutions to Sri Lanka's worsening human-elephant conflict, Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody announced today (6).

Speaking at the Ministry of Environment, Jayakody said the government was pursuing both immediate and long-term measures to address what he described as a severe social and economic crisis affecting communities across the country.

He said three elephant corridors Koholankala, Hadapanagala and Wetahirakanda—have already been declared and opened through gazette notifications, primarily in the Hambantota and Monaragala districts.

"Three elephant corridors have been cleared so far, and the remaining corridors will also be cleared as quickly as possible," the Deputy Minister said.

The initiative aims to allow wild elephants to move freely along their traditional routes without disrupting their natural behavioural patterns, while reducing elephant intrusions into human settlements.

Meanwhile, the government has appointed a special committee comprising experts, District Secretaries, District Development Committee representatives and ministers to prepare a comprehensive action plan containing scientific and practical long-term solutions to the human-elephant conflict.

According to Jayakody, the committee has already commenced its work and is expected to submit its final report to the President within three months. The report will incorporate existing recommendations as well as modern approaches to wildlife management and conflict mitigation.

The Deputy Minister highlighted that the government's primary objective is to protect wildlife resources while creating a safe environment for communities affected by the human-elephant conflict, enabling them to carry out their daily lives and livelihoods without fear.