• Env. Ministry instructs Wildlife/Forest Depts., DSs, GNs to demarcate and update gazettes, time frame at the ‘earliest possible’
• Lands to be returned if taken over by mistake
• Pvt. lands in the middle of large reserves will be given suitable alternative land 

National and regional State institutes including the Departments of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Conservation have been instructed to re-mark the boundaries of forest reserves in the Northern and Eastern Provinces at the earliest possible, according to the Ministry of Environment.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Anton Jayakody said that steps are being taken to address the land issue in the North and the East, which has affected residents for decades. "The issue is that some gazetted reserves include Government offices, hospitals, and even parts of cities. In some of these areas, people have been living for 30 to 40 years."

He added that in some cases, lands used by civilians have been included in forest or wildlife reserves without clearly marked boundaries. To resolve this, he said that the Divisional Secretaries (DSs), Grama Niladharis (GNs), and the Departments of Wildlife and Forest Conservation have been advised to work together to demarcate the actual boundaries of these reserves, and then take steps to update the relevant gazette notifications accordingly.

The land issues in the North and the East are connected to the past internal conflict and the struggles of the people who live there. Many families lost their homes and lands during the conflict, and even years after the conflict ended, some are still fighting to get them back. Some lands are under military control, while others have been taken over by various governmental departments. Successive governments have returned certain portions of these lands, but, many people are still waiting for their lands to be returned.