Parliament passed the Animals (Amendment) Bill and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (Amendment) Bill on Thursday, following a Second Reading debate that ran from 11.45 a.m. to 5.40 p.m.
The Animals (Amendment) Bill extends legal provisions that until now applied only to the transport of cattle and buffaloes. Under the amendment, obtaining official permits becomes mandatory for transporting pigs, sheep and goats as well. The stated objective is to strengthen control over the spread of zoonotic diseases — illnesses transmitted from animals to humans.
The bill was presented for its First Reading by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation on 21 July. It amends the Animals Act No. 29 of 1958, which has governed offences relating to cattle and buffaloes for nearly seven decades without keeping pace with the diversification of the country’s livestock sector. Cabinet approved the amendment in May, after granting policy approval in December 2025.
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (Amendment) Bill, presented on the same day by the Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply, is aimed at improving the institutional efficiency of the NWSDB, strengthening the management of water supply services and broadening the board’s responsibilities. The NWSDB is the state utility responsible for piped water and sewerage nationally, and routinely manages supply interruptions such as the seven-hour cut in Wellawatte and Pamankada announced for Thursday night.
Details of both bills were set out in a statement issued by Parliament’s Department of Communication.
The Animals (Amendment) Bill is a separate measure from the Animal Welfare Bill, which was gazetted in July and proposes fines of up to Rs. 250,000 for cruelty. That bill, which has drawn objections from the UNP over its potential effect on peraheras, has not yet been taken up for a vote.
