A special Gazette notification introducing regulations to protect the popular Nildiya Pokuna (Blue Water Pond) tourist site in Ella was signed yesterday (7), with authorities imposing a range of restrictions on visitors to the environmentally sensitive site.
The Gazette was signed at the Environment Ministry under the patronage of Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi. Issued under a Subsection of Section 2 of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, the notification sets out several provisions governing visitor access and the management of services provided to tourists visiting Nildiya Pokuna, located within the Ravana Ella Sanctuary.
A large number of tourists visit Nildiya Pokuna daily, prompting the introduction of regulations aimed at protecting the Sanctuary’s ecosystem while ensuring a safe and high-quality experience for visitors.
Accordingly, every person entering the Sanctuary to visit Nildiya Pokuna must comply with the regulations, the Ordinance and any other rules made under it. Visitors must also follow the necessary safety measures specified in guidelines prepared by the Director General under Section 68B of the Ordinance.
Under the new measures, children below 10 years of age will not be permitted to enter the cave, while those between 10 and 18 years will be allowed to enter only when accompanied by a guardian.
Furthermore, any student wearing a school uniform, possessing a valid student identity card issued by an educational institution, or holding a letter of permission from the head of the institution will be treated as a student for the purposes of the regulations and must use only permitted routes.
The Ministry said that under the special regulations, entering the waters of Nildiya Pokuna, disposing of garbage in the water, using detergents, or adding any substance or solution to the water inside the cave would be strictly prohibited.
Other prohibited activities include making excessive noise, playing musical instruments or using sound-producing devices, lighting fires, smoking, consuming alcohol or illicit drugs, moving or altering the position of rocks, and carving or marking rock surfaces.