President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed officials to take the strongest possible measures to protect the rapidly developing Northern and Eastern coastlines and ordered strict legal action against unauthorized constructions that damage coastal areas.

The President also instructed officials to appoint a steering committee to oversee and monitor coastal protection efforts. The directives were issued during a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (22) to review the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 Budget for the Ministry of Environment and to discuss proposals for the 2027 Budget, the President’s Media Division said in a statement.

During the discussion, President Dissanayake ordered the appointment of an expert committee to examine measures to address coastal erosion along the Oluvil coastline and submit recommendations at the earliest opportunity.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of projects under the Ministry of Environment, which has been allocated Rs. 19,719 million under the 2026 Budget. Progress of recurrent and capital expenditure by institutions under the ministry, including the Central Environmental Authority, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest Department, Department of National Zoological Gardens, Department of National Botanic Gardens, Water Resources Board, Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management and the Marine Environment Protection Authority, was also assessed.

The President also expressed concern over delays in projects aimed at mitigating the human-elephant conflict, stating that slow implementation posed a direct threat to human lives. He instructed officials to complete the projects within the stipulated timeframe and ensure that the allocated budget is fully utilized before the end of the year, the PMD noted.

The President further emphasized that the placement and extent of elephant fences should be determined based on the need to protect human lives rather than simply demarcating wildlife zones.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of several projects under the "Clean Sri Lanka" programme, including water source conservation initiatives, the Clean Coastline Project, the Coastal Recreation Parks Development Project, and efforts to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities at the Sinharaja and Kanneliya forests.

Minister of Environment Dr. Dammika Patabendi said the Ministry is formulating a national carbon emissions policy aimed at creating broader investment opportunities.

Secretary to the Ministry of Environment K.R. Uduwawala said inadequate planning had resulted in multiple ministries receiving foreign funding for similar activities. He said a permanent coordinating committee would be established to improve the planning and implementation of future foreign-funded projects.

The meeting also discussed upgrading holiday bungalows managed by the Departments of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Conservation, promoting floriculture as an industry, and strengthening the National Botanic Gardens to support biodiversity conservation.