Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody said the Government is considering de-designating areas within gazetted forest reserves in the Northern and Eastern Provinces where hospitals, schools and other public institutions are located, in a move aimed at resolving long-standing land disputes.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (5), he said the move would not affect overall forest density, as new forest areas are being gazetted under the Government’s Wanaspathi programme.

Jayakody said the Government had appointed a committee to examine long-standing land disputes in the North and East, which have affected residents for decades.

“One key issue is that some gazetted reserves include Government offices, hospitals, schools and even parts of towns. In some of these areas, people have been living for 30 to 40 years,” he said.

He noted that in several cases, lands containing such buildings had been included within forest or wildlife reserves without clearly demarcated boundaries.

“To address this, all relevant institutions were instructed to conduct a joint survey to re-mark the actual boundaries. Work in one or two districts has already been completed,” he said.

He added that areas containing public institutions such as hospitals and schools would be de-designated from forest reserve limits once the boundary demarcation process is finalised.

The Environment Ministry has also instructed the Departments of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Conservation to complete the demarcation process at the earliest possible time and to update the relevant gazette notifications accordingly.

Land disputes in the Northern and Eastern Provinces remain closely linked to the legacy of the war. Many families were displaced during the conflict and lost their homes and property.

Although successive Governments have returned some lands over the years, certain areas remain under military control or under State institutions, while a number of displaced families are still waiting for their lands to be released.