Sri Lanka has declared five forest areas in Anuradhapura District as protected reserves, the government announced at a media briefing on Monday (May 25) ahead of World Environment Day on June 5.
Environment Minister Dr. Dammika Patabendi named the five reserves as Ritigala, Aliyawetuna Wewa, Bulagala, Konketiyawa and Kallanchiya — covering a combined extent of 2,169 hectares. The declarations formalise the protected status of these forests, which form part of the ecological heritage of the North Central Province.
The Minister confirmed at a follow-up briefing at the Government Information Department on June 1 that the five reserves will be formally gazetted on June 5 (World Environment Day), raising Sri Lanka’s total number of forest reserves to 86. Eighty-one forests have already been gazetted under the 2025 forestry programme; the five Anuradhapura sites round out the total at 86.
The gazette is being rolled out under the national “Wanaspathi” forestry programme aligned with World Environment Day, NewsFirst reported. Three designated elephant corridors will also be opened alongside the new reserves as part of an effort to ease the country’s escalating human-elephant conflict. Advisor to the Ministry of Environment Dr. Ravindra Kariyawasam said Ritigala in particular sees significant elephant movement as the animals search for food, making protected status critical for both biodiversity and water-system continuity.
Dr. Patabendi also announced that measures are underway to designate the ‘Moolagiya Ulpath’ area as an additional protected reserve. The ‘Kuda Bubula’ water spring will be gazetted as a reserve jointly by the Water Resources Board and the Central Environmental Authority.
The announcements come during a broader period of environmental activity by the Ministry. The Minister has previously restricted plastic and polythene at Vesak dansals and has been active on conservation governance ahead of the June 5 observance. Separately, the Ridiyagama Wildlife Corridor butterfly garden — home to 248 butterfly species including 31 endemics — is set to reopen on June 3, adding a new ecotourism site ahead of World Environment Day.
Ritigala, the most prominent of the five newly protected sites, is a significant ancient forest and archaeologically sensitive zone that has long been considered an ecological priority area in the North Central Province.
Kallanchiya, the smallest of the five reserves, lies in the Galnewa Divisional Secretariat Division of the Thambuththegama range, the Wildlife Ministry confirmed on Tuesday (June 2). The 35.2-hectare dry-zone forest has been identified as ecologically significant for its biodiversity, with the reserve also hosting deer, porcupines, macaques and several bird, reptile and insect species. Native plant cover includes Weera, Palu, Ahala, Damba and Keeriya alongside thorny shrubs and climbers. The site sits on a recognised elephant movement route, the central feature behind its declaration under the Vanaspathi programme.
