The nation has now been purged of the terrorism which affected it for thirty years. The way is clear for resuming development, democracy and normalcy in civilian life. The present situation provides a rare opportunity for prosperity through correct planning and implementation of such plans. It is in this way that the freedom won by the great final phase of the war can become a reality.
Else there is a serious danger that the damage to true development, democracy, everyday life and freedom that the people of the country suffered under the terrorists will continue.
Unfortunately, this situation is seen to prevail in the Wilpattu National Park today. The Navy is in the process of constructing a wide 35-kilometre long road through Wilpattu for civilian transport. This road, with three bridges, runs from the Kala Oya at Eluvankulam (on the southern boundary of the Park) to the Uppu Aru at Pukulam (at the northern boundary of the Park). A large area of forest and a certain extent of several of the unique villus of Wilpattu have been destroyed and damaged in order to construct it. Such sites can also be a direct danger to wildlife; for example, the excavations for earth may well be death traps to elephants. 
The plunder of the Wilpattu National Park has not ended with this. Presently another wide road is being constructed from Mannar to Puttalam inside the Park along its coast. Sections of it are already approaching completion. There are plans to turn the strip between this road and the sea into a tourist township. It appears that some of these are already finalised. We can expect that this too will soon proceed with the deception and secrecy seen so far.
The destruction and illegal activities in Wilpattu have gone further. Within the Park, between Pukulam and the bridge across the Modaragam Aru at Mullikulam, a large stretch of forest about 1 kilometre long has been separated away by wire-fencing posts. Under no law can part of a National Park be separated from the rest of it. We cannot understand why this area of the forest said to be liberated from the terrorists is being subjected to environmental harm greater by far than caused by them.
These roads are being made through the Park with no care or planning at all for the welfare of wildlife and no measures for their protection. No permission whatever, or advice, has been obtained for this from the Department of Wildlife Conservation. These activities were until now carried out while concealing them from the Wildlife Department and preventing access of its officials to the National Park.
The ill-planned excavation and ridge construction may result in the unique villu ecosystems in the vicinity being filled in and destroyed. The habitat of the wildlife of Wilpattu has been divided by the first road. The damage to the biodiversity of the Park is considerable. After the opening of this road to the public on 24 January 2010 it has become a busy route with traffic. As a result the animal population of Wilpattu has been split and confined into two sections, and the ranges of elephants have been fragmented. The breaking up of the territories of leopards can be a serious threat to their density, which in this Park may be among the highest in the world. The number of animals in road kills along this route is large and keeps steadily increasing. For all these reasons and others this entirely illegal, and ill-planned, road construction is a great blow to the wildlife populations and flora of the Wilpattu National Park.
The present Wilpattu National Park is a complex of protected areas previously with different status. The first of its five sections was declared a National Park on 25 February 1938; this lies in the Anuradhapuraand Puttalam Districts and covers 54953 hectares. Thereafter, a section of 7021 ha. was added on 28.4.1967, then 22981 ha. on 27.8.1969, again 25253 ha. on 25.12.1969m and finally 21485 ha. on 7.12.1973. Thus its total extent of forest at present is 131694 hectares. In addition, several other forests together with it form a larger area for wildlife to live in, such as the Wilpattu North Sanctuary, the Tabbowa Sanctuary and the Wirakulicholai-Eluvankulam Proposed Forest Reserve. Hence as a result of these roads, a large population of fauna are deprived of the protection they have received, and the Kala Oya, Modaragam Aru and other waterways are affected by damage to their drainage areas. Wilpattu is not only a dwelling place for wildlife and a source of water but a treasure trove of archaeology. Among other things, it is believed that Tambapanni where King Vijaya came ashore is a site within the Wilpattu National Park, and that the origins of the symbolic Sinhala culture reflected in Kuveni, too, are found here. A large amount of archaeological material and evidence is certain to have been destroyed in the course of the excavation and irregular road construction within the Park. It is difficult to understand what is expected of this “development” which deprives the nation of these riches.
Entering into a National Park, constructing roads within it, destroying of wildlife habitats, constructing permanent bridges, felling and removal of trees, making excavations, and separating and fencing forest land have all been done in clear violation of Sections 3, 5 and 6 of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance No. 2 of 1937 as last revised by Act No. 22 of 2009.
But the Department of Wildlife Conservation has not taken any action against any of this. It is a mystery why the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources have been silent while a protected area has been thus systematically destroyed. We ask the relevant authorities to take steps to stop all damage being caused to the Wilpattu National Park, the nation’s largest. Else what is eventually left will be a few small forest patches fragmented and devoid of wildlife. We hope that the authorities will act speedily to prevent this from happening.
Prepared by – Sajeewa Chamikara, Sri Lanka Nature Forum