Human-Buffalo conflict continues to haunt and trouble villagers “We do not benefit from the Kotmale reservoir in any way,”

 Several villages were taken over for the Kotmale Reservoir project, hence, the residents of the villages were resettled in distant areas including Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Girandurukotte

 Residents of various villages in the Kotmale Division are grappling with the wildlife crisis, particularly from the wild buffaloes following the construction of the Kotmale Reservoir   
Several villages were taken over for the Kotmale Reservoir project, hence, the residents of the villages were resettled in distant areas including Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Girandurukotte.   
The buffaloes which belonged to the villagers previously have been left abandoned due to the resettlement. They have become feral, and as a result of not having access to enough food, they raid the nearby villages. This threat is similar to that of the wild elephants which is commonplace in many regions in Sri Lanka. Paddy fields and cultivated land including garden crops have been destroyed by buffaloes, torque monkeys, peacocks and wild boar.   
A resident of Mawela and a social worker, Sisira Kumara Narankotuwa said there is gathering momentum over the torque monkey menace in other areas and the authorities urgently want to come up with a plan to resolve this pressing issue.   
He added “We do not benefit from the Kotmale reservoir in any way as it does not provide a single drop of water for our paddy fields. The Kotmale reservoir is ruining our agricultural activities in the villages bordering the reservoir. The threat of environmental issues which the people in Kotmale face is significant. It is a complex issue which is unfortunately ignored by the relevant authorities. The threat of wild buffaloes is a very serious one. The buffaloes left in the wild due to the resettlement of villagers became feral. Then they destroyed the paddy fields and cultivated land. The threat is as bad as the wild elephant issue and the wild elephant issue is common in most regions of this country,”.  
He also expressed that “Our only source of irrigation is the historic Ranamure Spout, which Prince Dutugemunu is said to have used when he was hiding in Kotmale. The young prince who disguised himself as a paddy cultivator to evade capture in the meantime was raising an army to fight against the Chola King Elara who ruled in Anuradhapura. However, a vast area of the Mawela tract which has been cultivated has been left to the elements of the forest. We develop paddy seedlings in plates, a traditional system, and plant them in the paddy field. We need hundreds of plates. However, the wild buffaloes ruin them in one night. It’s better to drink poison and die than to witness this destruction” he lamented.  
A resident of Harangala, D.G.Wimalawathie also spoke about the hardship faced by buffaloes and other wild animals including peacocks and torque monkeys. “Torque monkeys enter villagers’ homes and steal whatever food they can get their hands on. They enter the homes along the main electric distribution lines. The monkeys are not afraid of the dogs, when they come in gangs towards the houses, the dogs hide in fear in a corner. Despite notifying the relevant authorities, no action has been taken in this regard. We urge the authorities to address this issue without any more delays,” Wimalawathie said.  
The villagers mention the struggle they face in trying to secure irrigation facilities as they rely mainly on agriculture. They also added that even though their lands lie adjacent to the reservoir, they do not have access to sufficient water as this is their primary source of income.  
The villagers call on the government to compile a comprehensive relocation plan for the wild buffaloes and also implement a programme to provide adequate water from the reservoir to enable sustainable farming in the region.