A special Gazette notification containing regulations aimed at preserving the "Nildiya Pokuna" (Blue Water Pond), the popular tourist site in Ella, was signed today (07).

The Gazette was signed at the Ministry of Environment under the patronage of Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi.

Published under a subsection of Section 2 of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, the Gazette notification includes several provisions regarding the management of services provided to visitors travelling to the 'Nildiya Pokuna', located within the Ravana Ella Sanctuary.

A large number of tourists visit the 'Nildiya Pokuna' on a daily basis, within the environmentally sensitive Ravana Ella Sanctuary. Accordingly, the notification contains numerous regulations focused on environmental protection and ensuring a high-quality experience for visitors.

To ensure the protection and conservation of the relevant ecosystem, every person entering the Ravana Ella Sanctuary to visit the 'Nildiya Pokuna' must comply with the provisions set out in these regulations, the Ordinance, and any other rules made thereunder. Visitors are also required to take the necessary safety measures specified in guidelines prepared by the Director General under Section 68B of the Ordinance.

Under these measures, individuals under 10 years of age are not permitted to enter the cave, while those between 10 and 18 years of age may enter only when accompanied by a guardian.

Furthermore, any student wearing a school uniform, possessing a valid student identity card issued by an educational institution, or holding a letter of permission from the head of the institution shall be treated as a student for the purposes of these regulations and must use only permitted routes.

According to the Ministry of Environment, under these special regulations, it is strictly prohibited to enter the waters of the 'Nildiya Pokuna', dispose of garbage in the water, use detergents, or add any substance or solution to the water inside the cave.

Additionally, making excessive noise, playing musical instruments or using sound-producing devices, lighting fires, smoking, consuming alcohol or illicit drugs, moving or altering the position of rocks, and carving or marking rock surfaces are strictly prohibited.