New elephant corridors, habitat improvements and safety measures are being introduced to reduce human-elephant conflict and protect communities and wildlife.
Under the guidance of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Ministry of Environment, led by Environment Minister Dr. Dammika Patabendi, has outlined a series of measures to address the long-running issue.
Three elephant corridors Watahira Kanda, Hadapanagala and Koholankala have been gazetted and opened in the Hambantota and Monaragala districts. Preliminary work has also started in Anuradhapura.
The measures aim to give elephants safer routes and better access to food and water. They also seek to reduce elephant movement into villages and farming areas.
Improving elephant habitats
The Ministry has cleared invasive plants around Kalawewa and Tabbowa reservoirs. The work will create grasslands and enrichment areas for elephants.
Authorities are also restoring tanks and water sources inside forest areas. The Ministry said similar enrichment zones have started operating in protected forests, including Nilgala, the country’s second-largest forest.
These measures aim to keep elephants within forest areas by improving their access to food and water.
Protecting communities and elephants
Authorities are building new electric fences with funds from the national budget. They are also adding safety measures along railway lines where elephant-train collisions have occurred.
Officials are installing cameras and warning signs along the Gal Oya–Trincomalee, Gal Oya–Batticaloa, Northern and Mannar railway lines. These systems aim to alert train operators and reduce collision risks.
The Department of Wildlife Conservation is also setting up a mobile hospital service for wild elephants. The service will provide faster medical care for injured animals.
Meanwhile, an expert and monitoring committee will develop a long-term plan to manage human-elephant conflict. The committee brings together government agencies, conservation experts and local community representatives.
The Ministry has also highlighted the link between elephant conservation, biodiversity, tourism and the wider economy.
If these measures work as planned, elephants could have safer routes and better access to food and water inside protected areas. Communities could also face fewer elephant intrusions and lower risks to homes, crops and livelihoods.
Ministerial Update Presidential Affairs
Last modified: August 11, 2026
