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Forest Dept weighs bringing Diyagama forest under its purview amid sports complex plans
View(s):The Forest Conservation Department is considering bringing the Diyagama forest under its purview, following conservation calls – even as the Sports Ministry plans to extend a sports complex with pitches and hostels on the site.
The ecologically rich forest patches of approximately 24 and 25 acres each currently belong to the Homagama Divisional Secretariat and are the Colombo district’s only patch of rainforest. Conservationists raised the alarm last month when the Sports Ministry announced plans to acquire the land and extend the Diyagama Sports Complex. This week, opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya member Harsha de Silva also submitted a private member’s motion in parliament to “urgently protect Diyagama forest.”
A survey documented around 103 plant species, along with 20 mammal species, including the red slender loris, purple-faced langur, fishing cat, mouse deer and more
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While Diyagama has the characteristics for protection under the Forest Ordinance, it does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department, so we do not have the mandate to intervene,” the Conservator General of Forests, W. W. M. P. S. C. Palamakumbura, said.
He noted that the extent of the land had been significantly larger in the past but had gradually diminished due to development projects and increasing encroachment. “We would be happy to give it the protection it needs, which is why we are exploring our options right now,” Mr Palamakumbura said, reiterating that the forest receiving the department’s protection must be gazetted accordingly.
However, he said the area’s ecological importance could make it eligible for protection under the National Policy on Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs), launched in November 2023. The policy provides a framework to safeguard critical biodiversity areas located outside existing protected zones and guides sustainable land use and management, often operating alongside the National Environmental Act (NEA) No. 47 of 1980, which allows for the declaration of Environmental Protection Areas.
A research team from the Colombo University’s Department of Plant Sciences found a well-stratified ecosystem, with a rich canopy, sub-canopy, and understory, alongside areas of shrubland and sections in need of restoration.
Shamil Ileperuma, who was on the research team led by Prof. Sudeera Ranwala, noted that two small lakes within the forest had also created wetland habitats, which resulted in species found in both rainforests and wetlands thriving near each other.
The survey documented around 103 plant species, along with 20 mammal species, including the red slender loris, purple-faced langur, fishing cat, mouse deer and more. The forest was also identified as a major bird hotspot, supporting roughly 90 rainforest and wetland bird species. “In the evenings, you can see them roosting in the thousands,” Mr Ileperuma noted.
Many of the plant and animal species are endemic, endangered, or threatened. In addition, the area supports around 10 species of endemic and threatened amphibians, about 29 reptile species, nearly 60 endangered and vulnerable butterfly species, and approximately 18 endangered freshwater fish species.
Homagama Divisional Secretariat officials have confirmed that the biodiversity of the Diyagama forest area can be protected regardless of ownership. “We have two types of loris in
Sri Lanka, and this forest—being in the wet zone—hosts the endemic red slender loris. We also want to ensure its protection along with the other species in this forest,” said an official who requested anonymity.
The land, originally belonging to the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation for a transmission centre, was temporarily acquired in the early 2010s for the Mahinda Rajapaksa Ground and was to be transferred to the Mahinda Rajapaksa Foundation. After the government change in 2015, ownership was redirected to the Sports Ministry, with the current process representing the final stage of that transition.
While the area does not fall under forest conservation protection and is classified as “acquired abandoned land”, species within it remain protected under the Flora and Fauna Ordinance. One forest strip has naturally rewilded, with old quarries turning into ponds. The Sri Lanka Cricket Institute has requested part of this strip for an international cricket ground, though feasibility studies are still required. “Technically, it is abandoned land, not a forest, so we as the Secretariat have no objection,” the official said.
He added that the minister has repeatedly assured that the forest area will be safeguarded during development. “We don’t have it in writing, but the minister’s words are official communication, so we see no reason to doubt it at the moment,” he said.
Following the initial outcry, in early January, Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage assured stakeholders that no destruction of the forest would be permitted during any development activities and that an eco-friendly tourist zone would be a priority.
He made the remarks during an inspection visit to the Diyagama Mahinda Rajapaksa Sports Complex on January 7, where he noted that unauthorised access to the forest had led to illegal waste dumping and environmentally harmful activities, contributing to forest degradation. He had assured that, to prevent environmental damage, measures, including installing protective fencing to curb illegal entry and waste dumping and involving the National Youth Services Council’s “One Million Volunteers” programme in conservation efforts, would be initiated.
But biologists involved in the forest patch’s baseline research in 2024 hold that the forest’s use should be restricted to activities that acknowledge its scientific value daily. “Our final recommendations are that totally isolated maintenance would be difficult, so a green laboratory-style conservation plan that offers people a place to visit and students a space to conduct research would be more plausible,” said Kosala Abeykoon, another member of the research team from the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Colombo.
He added that the forest areas consisted of two patches and, while continuous, are of secondary origin due to urbanisation and human settlement, which have reduced their size. Natural regeneration and ecological succession are ongoing, and with protection over the next decade, the area could develop into a more robust forest ecosystem.
“Development should be mutually beneficial,” Mr Abeykoon added. “It should allow the forest to retain its scientific value while providing a space for research and public visitation. Forest patches like this are unique in the metropolitan area, so their preservation is essential.”
The Sunday Times reached out to the Sports Minister for clarification on which projects would be approved and which protection mechanism would be enacted over the Diyagama Forest, but did not receive a response.
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