More visitors to National Parks

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The number of visitors to the country's national Parks have doubled with the Government eradicating LTTE terrorism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Champika Ranawaka said after opening an information Centre and a park bungalow at Lunugamvehera, on Sunday.

He said visitors to the Lunugamvehera and Yala National Parks are on the increase, and they are planning to open the block two of Yala National Park located between Menik Ganga an Kumbukkan Oya for the benefit of animal lovers and research.

Ranawaka said more than 28,000 people, both foreigners and locals have visited the Yala Park up to June 30 this year and the number of visitors to the park during the same period last year was over 15,000.

Minister Ranawaka said moves are under way to develop Yala and Kumana National Parks as the ministry has identified them as priority areas of development to conserve biodiversity of the forests while ensuring visits by foreign nationals and thereby rake in good foreign exchange to the country.

Foreign nationals visiting Yala has also increased from 7,532 in 2008 to 10,939 in 2009, the Minister said.

The Wildlife Conservation Department has generated an income of Rs. 27 million this year as against the income of Rs. 16.6 million it generated last year, he said. Minister Ranawaka also laid a foundation stone to construct a new information centre to be donated by parents of wildlife lover late Dr. Ravi Samarasinghe. Irrigation and Water Management Minister Chamal Rajapaksa was also present.

The two Ministers marked the opening of the Information Centre at Lunugamvehera on the invitation of Director, Wildlife Conservation, W.A.D.A. Wijesuriya.