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Human-elephant conflict: President calls for swift action with public support
View(s): 85President Anura Kumara Disanayake instructed officials to swiftly implement a formal mechanism to resolve the human-elephant conflict, which significantly impacts both the rural economy and people’s lives.
The presidential instructions were issued on Friday during a discussion held at the President’s Office with the aim of finding a solution to the human-elephant conflict.
During the discussion, particular attention was paid to the worst-affected districts such as Anuradhapura, Puttalam, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Hambantota, Monaragala, Kurunegala, Badulla and Trincomalee. District Secretaries explained to the President the challenges the people faced in their respective districts due to the human-elephant conflict.
Villagers in Hambantota staged protests near the Wildlife Range office in Hambantota last week after seeing a notice that said crackers to drive away wild elephants will not be issued on weekends and Poya days. The villagers asked, so are they to allow rampaging elephants to have their way on such days? Pix by Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi
Discussions also covered the vacancies in the Wildlife Department, vehicle requirements and the difficulties officials faced in carrying out their duties, the President’s Media Division said.
The President emphasised the need to streamline the mechanism for resolving the human-elephant conflict and highlighted the importance of implementing this programme with the people’s support.
Accordingly, the President instructed that committees comprising accountable officials from the relevant districts be appointed within the next month to carry out these activities.
The President also directed that retired officers be recruited on a contract basis to fill the vacancies in the Wildlife Department. As an immediate measure, he instructed officials to assign Civil Security Department officers to the Wildlife Department with specific training and to enact relevant legislation for this purpose.
The President also instructed that the ongoing joint operations by the police, other security forces and the Wildlife Department to resolve the human-elephant conflict be made more systematic and efficient.
The event was also attended by Public Administration Minister Chandana Abeyrathne, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, Deputy Housing Minister T.B. Sarath, Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara, Presidential Secretary Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Wildlife Director General Ranjan Marasinghe, Army Commander Lasantha Rodrigo, and Acting Police Chief Priyantha Weerasuriya.
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