Save DIYAGAMA Rain Forest

As Homagama accelerates toward becoming a major commercial and urban centre in the Colombo District, a critical truth is being overlooked: some of the area's last surviving natural forests still exist-and they are under imminent threat.

- SENT BY PANCHALI PANAPITIYA

The Diyagama Rain Forest is a rare lowland wet-zone rainforest whose ecological value far exceeds its modest size. Long before highways, housing, and commercial expansion transformed Homagama, this area formed part of an unbroken forest landscape that sustained wildlife, water systems, and human communities. Diyagama is one of the final remnants of that landscape.

Historical records and local knowledge indicate that until the early 1900s, Homagama was almost entirely forested, serving as vital wildlife corridors, including elephant routes. Diyagama itself was once a water-rich, wetland-dominated ecosystem that played a crucial role in groundwater recharge and regional ecological balance.

Today, although reduced to approximately 26 acres, the forest remains ecologically extraordinary. Situated just 20 metres above sea level, it retains core lowland wet-zone rainforest characteristics, including wetlands, natural ponds, and layered forest structures that support remarkable biodiversity within a small area.

Scientific surveys and field observations have recorded.

· Over 220 wildlife species

· 103 plant species, many endemic and medicinal

· Around 90 bird species, including endemic, migratory, and threatened birds