The Appeal Court today (Jul 15) instructed the Attorney General to inquire from Director General, Forest Conservation Department and report facts on whether deforestation was taking place in the forest reserves surrounding the Wilpattu national park.
A petition had been filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice against the resettlement of families, which they argued was taking place at the cost of causing massive deforestation in the area.
The two-member judge bench of Justices Janak de Silva and N. Bandula Karunarathna fixed the petition for further hearing on July 19.
The verdict on the petition which was expected to be issued on August 6 last year, had been postponed after Judge Mahinda Samayawardhena recused himself from the judge bench.
A Sri Lankan man was apprehended at Suvarnabhumi airport for attempting to smuggle wildlife out of the country after three ball pythons were found hidden in his underwear, the Bangkok post reported.
Read these and more on tomorrow’s edition of the Sunday Times
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