Environmentalists are calling on the Government to take urgent and sustainable measures to mitigate the escalating human–elephant conflict (HEC), warning that the situation is reaching crisis levels in several districts.
They are pressing for the immediate activation of recommendations outlined in the 2020 Presidential Committee Report on HEC mitigation. The 11-member committee, chaired by renowned environmental scientist Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando, Head of the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR), submitted a comprehensive 60-page report in December 2020. Despite its potential, the report has largely remained unimplemented.
Wildlife conservation experts have voiced frustration over the report being sidelined, particularly since a second Presidential Committee was appointed in October 2022 to oversee its implementation — yet with limited visible progress.
Dr. Fernando criticized the long-standing reliance on linear electric fences, describing the method as ineffective given that 70% of the elephant range now overlaps with human settlements. “The core problem is trying to confine elephants to protected areas, a strategy that has failed for over 70 years,” he said.
He emphasized the efficacy of community-managed seasonal electric fences to protect vulnerable crops, as recommended in the 2020 National Action Plan. According to him, about 200 seasonal electric fences were set up around paddy fields in 2024, with another 200 planned for 2025 in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Hambantota, and Kurunegala districts.
These efforts are being supported by donor agencies like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, along with programmes such as the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP) and Mahaweli Water Security Investment Programme. International NGOs including the Abraham Foundation, Shared Earth Foundation, Whitley Fund for Nature, Marjo Hoedemaker Elephant Foundation, TUI Care Foundation, and the Zoological Society of London are also funding the fencing initiatives.
The Department of Wildlife Conservation reports that from 2010 to July 2025, 4,815 elephants and 1,614 people have died due to HEC. Currently, Sri Lanka maintains 5,400 kilometres of linear electric fencing, with plans underway to expand this by an additional 2,000 kilometres.
Meanwhile, under the direction of North Central Province Governor Wasantha Jinadasa, a multi-pronged HEC mitigation programme is being launched. As part of this effort, five elephant corridors are set to be declared in Digampothana, Fifth Mile Post, Nachchaduwa-Mahakanadarawa, Nachchaduwa-Wilpattu, and Puliyankulama by 2026. Alarmingly, 27 out of 29 DS divisions in the province are currently affected by rising conflict levels.
Environmentalists stress that without immediate and strategic implementation of the 2020 committee’s proposals, both human and elephant casualties will continue to rise—further threatening biodiversity, agriculture, and rural livelihoods across Sri Lanka.
