Galle Heritage Site Management Plan formulated

Mahinda P.Liyanage Galle Correspondent

The first ever wide-ranging Galle Heritage Site Management Plan formulated and introduced by the National Heritage Ministry under the Sri Lanka-Netherlands Cultural Cooperation Programme in respect of the ancient fortified city of Galle Fort, has been approved for implementation by the Steering Committee of the Galle Heritage Foundation following a unanimously adopted resolution at its meeting held on June 21.

Dr. Raj Somadeva of Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology of University of Kelaniya on the invitation of the National Heritage Ministry has conceptualized and prepared the management plan after an extensive study of intellectual and academic researches and explorations and true analysis of diverse recommendations and proposals on various issues regarding preservation, conservation and development of the site by a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations and individual experts in the field.

The plan which establishes the management objectives for the World Heritage Site and endorsed action for the sustenance and conservation of the universal value of the Galle WHS, satisfies a long unresolved obligation to address many a challenges and issues pertaining to this "Walled City", one of the Sri Lanka's most evocative ancient monuments. Ancient Dutch fortress of Galle was inscribed into the World Heritage list in 1988 under the Criteria IV of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.