Declaring of Environmental Protection Areas

Details

The National Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980 has provisions which allows the Central Environmental Authority to declare specific areas as Environmental Protection Areas by the CEA through an order published in a Gazette.  Once the CEA declares as area as an Environmental Protection Area, any planning scheme or project in the protected area under the provision of any law which is in conflict with any provision of the National Environmental Act, ceases to operate in that area.

As per the provisions of the NEA, the following areas have been declared as Environmental Protection Areas;

1. Muthurajawela Environmental Protection area (Gazette Notification No. 1466/26 of 13th October 2006)

2. Thalangama Environmental Protection Area (Gazette Notification No. 1487/10 of 5th March 2007).

3. GregoryLake Environmental Protection Area (Gazette Notification No. 1487/10 of 5th March 2007).

4. Knuckles Environmental Protection Area (Gazette Notification No. 1507/9 of 23rd July 2007).

5. Maragala Mountain Range Environmental Protection Area (Gazette Notification No. 1560/26 of 01st August 2008).

6. WalauwewattaWathurana Environmental Protection Area (Gazette Notification No. 1598/21 of 24th April 2009.

7. Bolgoda Environmental Protection Area (Gazette Notification No. 1634/23 of 30th December 2009).

8. Hanthana Environmental Protection Area (Gazette Notification No. 1641/28 of 17th February 2010).