Butterfly garden near Ritigala forest reserve

Nimal Wijesinghe

Plans are under way to set up a sanctuary for butterflies close to the Ritigala forest reserve, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champilka Ranawaka said.

"The preservation and conservation of the country's natural resources including the flora and fauna and wildlife is one of the most important things we could do for the future generations," he said at the inauguration of the construction work of wild elephants' transit camp, in the forest reserves at Ritigala in Anuradhapura district last week.

The Ritigala elephants transit camp will be the second such reservation next to Udawalawa Eth Athuru Sevana.

The Ritigala Eth Athuru Sevana will have 1,000 hectares in the Ritigala forest reserve. The Minister said in the jumbos transit camp, the proposed butterfly garden and other environmental protection ventures in the North Central Province would be tourist attractions in the future which would support livelihood empowerment and generate more jobs.