CA to proceed with writ petition against construction of new roads through Sinharaja forest

The Court of Appeal yesterday decided to proceed with the writ petition filed challenging the construction of reservoirs and roads within the Sinharaja Forest Reserve during former President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s regime.

When the matter was taken up before Justice Gihan Kulatunga, notices were issued to the respondents, including the Conservator General of Forests, the Central Environmental Authority and the Minister of Environment.

On August 8, 2025 the Attorney General informed court that the authorities will not construct new roads and repair any existing road network within the Sinharaja forest.

The Center for Environmental Justice (CEJ) and its Executive Director Hemantha Withanage filed this petition naming the Conservator General of Forests, the Central Environmental Authority, the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Wild Life and Forest Conservation, the Minister of Irrigation and the Attorney General as respondents.

The petitioners stated that in 2020 it was reported in the media of an alleged plan to construct a reservoir covering a landmass of five hectares within the Sinharaja forest. The proposed project would move water from the Gin Ganga and Nilawala Ganga to Giruwapattuwa and will provide water to Tangalle, Beliatte, Weeraketiya, Walasmulla, Dambarella and other areas.

The petitioners state that the construction of reservoirs at Madugate and Kotapola and the construction of two tunnels from Madugeta to Kotapola and Kotapola to Ampanagala, the Neluwa–Lankagama road and the Lankagama–Deniyaya road will negatively affect the biodiversity of the already fragile ecosystem while violating the existing laws.

The petitioners state that it was reported on or around August 2020 that certain parties had commenced construction and expanding of an 18 km gravel road from Neluwa to Deniyaya running through the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and its buffer zone. Accordingly, an 8-foot-wide road that spans 18 kilometres will be widened to 15 feet and will be developed through the intended development project. Moreover, it has been identified that 1,320 metres of this road go through the land that falls within the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and through several subsidiaries of the Gin Ganga.

Senior Counsel Ravindranath Dabare appeared for the petitioners.