{
  "id": 14245287,
  "title": "Declaration of Naakolagane Sanctuary under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/declaration-of-naakolagane-sanctuary-under-the-fauna-and-flora",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-13T15:30:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/declaration-of-naakolagane-sanctuary-under-the-fauna-and-flora-protection-ordinance/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A significant move has been made to protect wildlife in Sri Lanka, with nearly 1,500 acres of land in the Kurunegala District declared a Naakolagane Sanctuary. The area, previously utilized by private businesses for crop cultivation, mineral extraction, and soil excavation, is now to be protected under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. The decision was prompted by environmental organizations who petitioned the Supreme Court, arguing that the land clearings had damaged the environment and exacerbated human-elephant conflicts in the region. In response, the Supreme Court ordered the entire area, including 55 hectares of previously cleared land, to be declared a sanctuary or elephant management reserve. The Survey Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation subsequently identified 682 hectares of land suitable for this declaration. With the Irrigation Department's approval, the Cabinet has now formally approved the resolution put forward by the Minister of Environment, designating this land as the Naakolagane Sanctuary. The sanctuary's borders include the maximum water limit of the nearby Palukadawala Tank.",
  "summary": "Nearly 1,500 acres of land in the Galgamuwa Divisional Secretariat Division of the Kurunegala District, have been used by a number of private businesses for economic crop cultivation, mineral extraction, and excavation of soil. Several environmental organizations had filed a petition before the Supreme Court requesting the suspention of the activities, stating that environmental damages […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}