50 more Forests declared under Wanaspati programmeNewsThe Ministry of Environment has taken steps to declare an additional 50 forests as protected reserves, Under the 'Wanaspati' National Programme. With these steps the total number of forests declared as reserves under the Vanaspati programme has now reached 79, the ministry said. This includes 6,255.77 hectares in the Ampara District, 275.811 hectares in the Matara District, 683.74 hectares in the Badulla District, 2,778.345 hectares in the Nuwara Eliya District, and 2,996.06 hectares in the Nuwara Eliya/Badulla districts. Declaring existing non-protected forests with minimal human activity in Sri Lanka as reserves has been a key priority of the new government’s Ministry of Environment. As part of a Programme to conserve identified forest areas and preserve them for future generations, the 'Wanaspati' National Programme was launched in 2025.

Source: Sunday Times March 26, 2026 00:42 UTC