In a development raising serious environmental concerns, government-linked politicians and business interests are reportedly advancing illegal access through Sri Lanka’s Knuckles Conservation Forest, a UNESCO-listed component of the Central Highlands.
Once celebrated as a biodiversity haven, the Knuckles range now faces potential destruction from plans to carpet and open an 8-kilometre jeep safari route deep within the forest.
Environmentalist Sajiva Chamikara alleges that MPs E.M. Basnayake and Jagath Manuwarna, working alongside the Medadumbara Divisional Secretary and local tourism entrepreneurs, have obtained approvals to pave a road from Tangappuwa through the heart of the Knuckles range.
Chamikara claims the initiative is driven by commercial interests, including safari operations and hotel expansions, rather than conservation or community benefit.
The Knuckles region, a World Heritage site, harbours unique flora and fauna, accounting for over one-third of Sri Lanka’s endemic plant species and half of its endemic vertebrates.
Experts warn that road construction, canopy removal, and ecosystem fragmentation in this sensitive area—which bridges wet and dry climatic zones—could disturb micro-habitats, raise local temperatures, and encourage the spread of invasive species such as Bovitiya.
Increased vehicle traffic threatens wildlife mortality, habitat loss, and potential ecosystem collapse.
According to Chamikara, meetings on 22 August, 30 September, and 30 October 2025, involving officials from the Land Use Planning Department, the Divisional Development Committee, and local hotel and safari operators, advanced the plan.
Basnayake and the Divisional Secretary allegedly granted unauthorised permission for the forest trail’s opening, raising concerns over governance failures.
The coalition reportedly includes Ven. Dr. Kendagolle Sumanaransi Thera of the Tangappuwa-Rangala Buddhist Centre, hotel owner Dixon Tennakoon (Knuckles Base Camp), G.K.G. Gunathilaka (Knuckles Ceylon Bungalow), and other businessmen, all in league with political actors.
Chamikara said that the scheme reflects a dangerous nexus of money, politics, and conservation.
The timing of the plan coincides with the government’s “A Rich Country, A Beautiful Life” initiative, as the Central Provincial Road Development Authority progresses the Theldeniya-Corbett’s Gap road outside the forest.
The segment inside the Knuckles, however, remains unmarked on official maps—until now.
With tourism ambitions on one side and conservation responsibilities on the other, the alleged move to dismantle a UNESCO-protected ecosystem underscores urgent questions about transparency, accountability, and the state’s role in protecting Sri Lanka’s most valuable natural heritage.
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