Maithri receives accolades for gazette increasing extent of Sinharaja

By Ifham Nizam

Former President Maithripala Sirisena said that he was happy that the gazette notification signed by him had been released to expand the World Heritage Sinharaja Rain forest.

The former President posted a note on his Facebook page over the release of the long-awaited gazette notification.

Sirisena said it was the duty and responsibility of all to protect the earth and the environment for future generations.

The Notification of the Gazette increasing the size of Sinharaja rain forest area, which encompasses 36,474.93 hectares, was signed by the then President Sirisena on November 11, 2019. It was released more than one year later. The gazette declaration was dated 20 November 2019.

Following news of construction activities in recent weeks in some peripheral parts of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, environmentalists and civil society organisations have raised concerns about the delay in issuing the gazette to extend

the rain forest protected area.

“I express my gratitude and appreciation to all environmentalists fighting for environmental protection,” the former President has said in his Facebook post.