Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-08-07

The new programmes proposed for resolving the Elephant-Human Conflict

- Due to the elephant human conflict, the loss of 375 human lives, 1,177 elephant deaths and 5,800 instances of property damages have been reported during the period of the past 5 years. The attention of the Government has been focused in taking expeditious action to resolve the elephant-human conflict which has become a major problem at present. As such, it has been planned to erect an electric fence of about 2,651 km in length within the places newly identified as having elephant threats to connect the existing electric fence of about 4,349 km in length at inoperative places, to increase the human resources and the facilities required to formulate a special programme for the safety and the maintenance of the elephant fences and to maintain the newly established electric fence properly. Accordingly, the proposal made by Field Marshal Hon. Sarath Fonseka, the Minister of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development, to secure the necessary funds for the purpose to commence the programme in the year 2018 and implement it expeditiously, was approved by the Cabinet.