The Environment Ministry announced that the ‘Forest Protection’ Centre, operating under the Ministry’s ‘Vanaspathi’ environmental protection programme, has received over 500 public complaints through its hotline, 1995.
The hotline has become an important channel for citizens to report incidents such as deforestation, wildlife crimes, illegal reclamation of mangrove wetlands, and encroachment on protected forest areas.
Between November 3 and November 12, 2025 (as of 12 noon), a total of 61 complaint calls were recorded.
The majority of these complaints relate to encroachment on protected forests and wildlife-related offences.
The Forest Conservation Department has been involved in 53 of the total complaints received so far. Investigations have been completed in 13 of these cases, and legal action has already been initiated.
The remaining 40 incidents are currently under investigation at the respective Forest Conservation Office level, with legal action expected to follow swiftly.
Additionally, eight complaints relating to the Department of Wildlife Conservation have been referred for legal action after preliminary inquiries.
The Ministry stated that the primary objective of establishing the Forest Protection Operations Unit is to ensure a prompt response and effective legal enforcement regarding public complaints about environmental degradation and illegal activities that threaten Sri Lanka’s natural ecosystems.
