Colombo, June 28 - The Supreme Court issued an interim order staying the operation of the Extraordinary Gazette issued by Wildlife Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi changing the boundaries of the Vedithalathivu Nature Reserve for an aquaculture project.

The Supreme Court made this order pursuant to two Fundamental Rights petitions filed by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka and the Environment Foundation. 

This interim order will be effective until the final determination of this application.

The petitioners are challenging the unlawful acts of the Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation by Extraordinary Gazette bearing 

No. 2383/05 and dated May 6, 2024. 

The petitioner stated that this gazette issued by the subject minister noted that the area specified in the appendix of the gazette will no longer be designated as part of the Vedithalathivu Nature Reserve.

The petitioner further states that the area that formed the nature reserve was identified as an area requiring protection by an integrated strategic environmental Assessment of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka (hereinafter referred to as ISEA-NPSL) carried out by the Central Environmental Authority and Disaster Management Centre with 

other government departments and experts between 2009 and 2014 and published in 2014.

President's Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardana PC, along with Dilumi de Alwis and Rukshan Senadheera appeared for the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka, while

Counsel Nilshantha Sirimanne with Nimshi Hirimbura, Deshara Goonetilleke, Amaya Fernando and Sachini Seneviratne appeared for the Environment Foundation  (Guarantee) Ltd.