Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2024-02-12 (Subject to Confirmation at the next Meeting)

Cessation of continuing a wildlife reserve area of the land section within the Madu Road National Park, which was excluded from the reservation status by the Department of Forest Conservation

- According to a proposal made through the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Northern Province to upgrade the Madu Road Sanctuary as a National Park, the said sanctuary has been declared as a National Park by a Gazette Notification dated 2015-06-22 by removing certain settlements in the sanctuary and including adjacent forest sections. It has been decided that the paddy lands cultivated since a long period of time and the lands developed as settlements should be released from the Reserve, and accordingly, land content of 56.8 Hectares has been excluded from the reservation status by the Gazette Notification dated 2023‑08‑08. The proposal made by the Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation to release the lands that was excluded from the reservation status by the Department of Wildlife Conservation following the procedure mentioned in the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, was approved by the Cabinet.