Sri Lanka’s government has begun reviewing tens of thousands of acres of protected land in Trincomalee to determine whether people who lived there before 1985 can have their land returned or be given alternative plots. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament that the initiative covers about 33,563 acres under the Forest Department and 31,627 acres under the Wildlife Department, including areas such as Periya Sober, Siriya Sober, Seruvila Allai, Trikonamadu, Puraath Theevu, and land around the Navy headquarters.
The review is part of a broader permanent land administration programme affecting former protected areas now overseen by forest and wildlife authorities. The government is assessing whether pre‑1985 residents can be resettled or compensated with new land.
Amarasuriya also highlighted delays in restoring abandoned irrigation systems in Trincomalee. Of 210 disused irrigation tanks, only 15 have been rehabilitated, and 195 remain pending. Similarly, 8 of 25 abandoned dams have been restored. Progress stalled because land under forest and wildlife control had not been transferred to the Agrarian Development Department and due to funding shortages.
Divisional Secretariats are now working to release the remaining tanks and dams so farmers can regain access. The land‑release and agricultural rehabilitation programme is also being implemented in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Batticaloa, and Anuradhapura, with the aim of boosting domestic rice production.