SJB Colombo District MP Dr. Harsha de Silva has submitted a motion to Parliament urging immediate protection of the Diyagama Forest, warning that the destruction of one of the last remaining urban lowland rainforests near Colombo would cause irreversible environmental damage.
The motion, included in the Addendum to the Parliament Order Book, calls on the government to halt all ongoing forest clearance and development inside the forest area and to gazette it as a protected zone under the Fauna and Flora Protection Act. Dr. de Silva has further proposed bringing the forest under the jurisdiction of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and granting it the “strongest possible legal protection” against future encroachment.
The Diyagama Forest is the closest rainforest fragment to Colombo and serves as a natural flood buffer for surrounding communities, regulating water flow into the Bolgoda River through its wetland and stream network. The motion warns that rapid urban expansion is threatening the fragile ecosystem.
The forest hosts more than 220 species of flora and fauna, including endangered species such as the Red Slender Loris, Purple-faced Langur and Fishing Cat, with approximately 12.6 percent endemic flora and 11.58 percent endemic fauna. The site has received international recognition for its Loris population and has potential for sustainable eco-tourism, the motion notes.
“The loss of the Diyagama Forest would be irreversible,” Dr. de Silva said in the motion, stressing that conservation is vital for biodiversity, climate resilience and public safety, and that urgent measures are needed to fulfil Sri Lanka’s national and international environmental commitments. The push for Diyagama’s protection coincides with the Sharks International 2026 conference in Colombo, which this week highlighted Sri Lanka’s broader marine and terrestrial biodiversity under threat.
Source: The Island.
