January 04, Colombo (LNW): Public Administration Minister Chandana Abeyratne has voiced strong criticism of wildlife officials, accusing them of neglecting their duties as wild elephants continue to wander into villages, placing rural communities at risk.
Speaking at a special District Disaster Management Committee meeting in Puttalam, the Minister said there had been repeated complaints from residents about elephants entering residential areas, yet timely action to chase the animals away was often lacking.
He alleged that officers attached to the Department of Wildlife Conservation frequently failed to respond, even when villagers attempted to contact them directly by telephone.
The discussion, held yesterday (03) with the participation of local community members, focused on the growing human-elephant conflict in the district and the urgent need for more responsive and coordinated interventions.
Abeyratne stressed that the safety of villagers must be treated as a priority and called for greater accountability from relevant authorities in addressing the ongoing problem.
