“Sri Lanka has perhaps the largest number of waterfalls of any country in the world in comparison to its size,” said Prof. Mahinda Rupasinghe, head of the Natural Resources Department at the Sabaragamuwa University highlighting the importance of another natural asset Sri Lanka is blessed with. But visit any waterfall and you will be dismayed by how this natural beauty is tarnished by visitor misbehaviour.
This and other reasons are why a group of enthusiasts have banded themselves together as the Sri Lanka Waterfall Council and are now working to protect waterfalls by promoting, what they call, a waterfall observation culture in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is indeed blessed with nearly 400 waterfalls, the heighest being Bambarakanda with a height of 241 metres. There are 100 waterfalls that are over 5-10 metres according to the studies, but to date, only few waterfalls have been officially measured by the Survey Department.
Big or small, all waterfalls perform an important task. To protect them, it is necessary to identify where waterfalls are located. “That is why the Sri Lanka Waterfall Council started recording the waterfalls spread across Sri Lanka as the first step,” President of the Waterfall Council Anura Nellugolla told The Sunday Times. To date they have recorded 382 waterfalls across the country. Most of these waterfalls are properly documented for the first time and Mr. Nellugolla fears there may have been many small waterfalls that have dried up unnoticed. The Waterfall Council believes there may be at least 50 more unexplored waterfalls in the country.
The threats to waterfalls are many. Forest cover clearance, gem mining on river beds, sand mining and damming the waterfalls are among the reasons for the thinning of the veils of water. Visitor misbehaviour is another problem. “Bopath Ella” is probably the most affected in the country. “The decline of fresh water fish is an indicator of the pollution of Bopath Ella,” said environmentalist Jagath Gunawardene who has witnessed the degradation of the Bopath Ella environs where visitors throw garbage into the water and disturb the habitat causing damage to the fragile waterfall ecosystems.
It is apparent that visitors need to be educated to enjoy the natural beauty of a waterfall. Birds, ferns, fish, the sound of gushing water – all create a unique experience.
The Sri Lanka Waterfall Council’ has already published several books illustrating the waterfalls in Sinharaja, Knuckles and even in Colombo. The council also organizes study tours to many waterfalls under the guidance of experts.
Those interested could contact the Waterfall Council - email waterfalls@sltnet.lk or phone 0115648151. For more information, visit http://srilankanwaterfalls.info/. | 
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