Colombo: Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyakontha (Retd) chaired a special discussion with senior Civil Security Department (CSD) officials at the Defence Ministry on Wednesday (Jan 15) to address the human-elephant conflict in the country.

According to Ministry of Defence – Sri Lanka, the Civil Security Department plays a significant role in maintaining elephant fences in areas where human-elephant conflicts occur and in assisting the Department of Wildlife to protect both people and elephants. The Asian elephant is recognized as a protected species in Sri Lanka.

The Civil Defence Force is actively involved in efforts to manage human-elephant conflicts, which have become a notable issue with environmental and socio-economic impacts. The discussion aimed to evaluate the CSD’s responsibilities and explore innovative solutions to provide a sustainable resolution to the human-elephant conflict.

The meeting included CSD officials such as Additional Director General Rear Admiral W.B.D.E.M. Sudarshana, Director Operations Brigadier M.S. Weligama, and several senior officers.