New measures to protect environmentally sensitive Sri Pada region

Sri Pada revered as one of Sri Lanka's most sacred pilgrimage sites, is also among the country's most environmentally sensitive ecosystems.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

Sri Pada (Adam's Peak)

During each pilgrimage season, hundreds of thousands of devotees ascend the mountain, placing immense pressure on its fragile forests, water sources and wildlife.

Against this backdrop, the government has introduced a series of decisive new measures aimed at significantly reducing biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste generated during the Sri Pada pilgrimage season.

The proposals, presented by the Ministry of Environment, have now received Cabinet approval, marking a major policy intervention to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Sri Pada protected area.

Environment Minister Dr. Dhammika Patabendi told The Island that these steps were long overdue and essential to ensure that religious devotion does not come at the cost of irreversible environmental damage.

"Sri Pada is not only a place of deep spiritual significance, it is also an environmentally hypersensitive zone of national importance," Dr. Patabendi said. "For years, we have witnessed massive accumulations of plastic waste after the pilgrimage season-polluted streams, degraded forest land and long-term harm to biodiversity. This situation can no longer be ignored."