A view of the site where the Corbett's Gap road in Thangappuwa has collapsed
The landslide on the ThangappuwaCorbett's Gap road
A billboard indicates that the Knuckles Mountain range is a forest reserve
Letter sent to the Human Rights Commission against the Department of Forest Conservation by Ven. Sumanaransi Thera
DFC officials affirm that they won't allow fragmentation of such a unique and sensitive forest through the constructionof a road
With the intervention of current government MPs approval was granted to carpet and develop the road fromRangala to Thangappuwa
The Knuckles Forest is a unique forest ecosystem in Sri Lanka, which was declared as a conservation forest by the Department of Forest Conservation through Extraordinary Gazette No. 1130/22 dated 05.05.2000. It is also the first conservation forest in the country. In addition, under the National Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980, the Knuckles area was designated as an environmental protection area through Extraordinary Gazette No. 1507/09 dated 23.07.2007. UNESCO also named it a World Heritage Site in 2010. "Knuckles is like the heart of Sri Lanka. As the guardians of this forest, it is our responsibility to protect the area without allowing even the slightest harm," said Bharatha Dissanayake, Divisional Forest Officer, Kandy.
The Knuckles Conservation Forest is managed under the direct supervision of the Conservator General of Forests. Only a limited number of activities are permitted in such a forest, and all of them require the approval of the Conservator General. Despite these restrictions, a group of individuals recently demanded that safari jeeps be allowed into the forest and that the existing roads be carpeted and expanded to promote tourism in the area. Environmental organisations strongly opposed these proposals. "A few members of the Knuckles Tourist Circle and the Knuckles Safari Jeep Owners' Association have held discussions with Kandy District Ministers E. M. Basnayake and JagathManuwarna of the current government. They plan to carpet a sixkilometreroad between Thangappuwa and Corbett's Gap, Attalawettuwa for jeep safaris within the forest. They have already obtained approval for it. But constructing such a road in an environmentally sensitive area like Knuckles is not appropriate, nor is there any legal basis for it. Only a handful of hotel owners in the area need a road through this forest," said Environmental Conservationist Sajeewa Chamikara.
The road from Thangappuwa to Corbett's Gap, Attalawettuwa which runs through the Knuckles forest, was used during British rule for transporting tea leaves. However, it remained unused for more than five decades. In 2000, the Knuckles Range, along with this forest road, was declared a conservation forest by the Forest Conservation Department. At that time, there was no opposition from any party. Later, the forest was declared an environmental protection area under the Environmental Act, and in 2010, UNESCO recognised the Knuckles ecosystem as a World Heritage Site, considering its ecological, biological, social and global significance. Although the Knuckles Range is a world heritage conservation forest, the road from Thangappuwa to Attalamettuwa and Corbett's Gap is used by foreign tourists after obtaining the required permits. Villagers also use this road occasionally, and forest officials have not obstructed them. However, a monk from Thangappuwa International Buddhist Centre and several individuals who operate tourist hotels have attempted to take safari jeeps onto this road, challenging the regulations that protect this forest under environmental laws. Forest officials alleged that the monk had once attempted to bring a backhoe into the forest illegally and to forcibly bulldoze the road.
Old road being prepared violating environmental laws
With the intervention of the current government MPs E. M. Basnayake, Jagath Manuwarna and Medadumbara Divisional Secretary Nuwan C. Hemakumara, approval was granted to carpet and develop the road from Rangala to Thangappuwa.
This approval was given in response to requests from several hotel owners in the area who had supported a number of ruling party MPs in the Kandy district during the last General Election. Following this, they were preparing to clear and carpet the 6-kilometre forest road from Thangappuwa to Corbett's Gap despite opposition coming from the Department of Forest Conservation (DFC). Officials from the DFC maintain a firm position that they will not allow the fragmentation of such a unique and sensitive forest through the construction of a road. Those demanding the road are exerting pressure through provincial politicians and senior officials with decision-making authority to proceed with the construction, claiming that it is not intended to promote tourism, but to secure an access route to the village of Meemure. When this newspaper inquired about the current status of this controversial road, a senior official of the Central Province Road Development Authority stated that although the road from Rangala to Thangappuwa has been completed, the construction of the 6-kilometre stretch from Thangappuwa to Corbett's Gap in the environmentally sensitive zone hasn't yet received approval from the DFC.
Buddhist priest files HR complaint
Dr. Kendagolle Sumanaransi Nayaka Thera, Incumbent of Rangala Theldeniya International Buddhist Centre, filed a petition with the Human Rights Commission on 09.11.2025against the DFC alleging that the human rights of both the Thera(Priest) and the residents of the area have been violated by the refusal to grant permission for the road from Thangappuwa to Corbett's Gap in the Knuckles Forest. The public petition submitted by the priest contained the signatures of three individuals described as aggrieved villagers, but inquiries made by the scribe revealed that none of them was a villager. These so called villagers were in fact operators of tourist hotels in the area. The petition claims that DFC officials have closed this road belonging to the Provincial Road Development Authority for about three months and have placed stone barriers across sections of the road, making it unthinkable ofpassing this place even by motorcycle. He also stated that closing this road, which has connected Ududumbara Divisional Secretariat Division including the villages of Rangala, Thangappuwa, Meemure and Kandegama with Medadumbara Divisional Secretariat Division for more than 200 years, has caused hardship to many people who use it. This newspaper inquired about this allegation from a forest officer working in the area. He made the following response under the condition that he must remain anonymous. His comment: "Although the monk claims that this road is closed, that is not the case. Tourists continue to use it even today. We have removed invasive plants from the section between the Thangappuwa ticket counter in Knuckles and Corbett's Gap and placed them at various points, so that they do not obstruct tourist movement. In addition, we have cut drainage channels in areas prone to soil erosion to control runoff and prevent the road from being washed away. This is what the monk is referring to when he says that trees were cut and trenches were dug across the road. He (priest) also claims that many people use this road. In reality, apart from tourists and the occasional villager, no one else uses it. There are well-built carpeted roads for the people of Rangala and Thangappuwa to travel to Theldeniya, and for the people of Meemure and Kandegama to travel to Hunnasgiriya or Ududumbara for their needs. Villagers use those roads. The Hunnasgiriya-Meemureroad has experienced landslides in several places due to recent disasters, but the issue will be resolved within a few days once the road is cleared."
Dr. Kendagolle Sumanaransi Nayaka Thera further claims in his petition to the Human Rights Commission that the Department of Posts has been delivering letters to Meemure along this route since the beginning, and that this road has long been used as a shortcut during Katina Pinkama ceremonies at temples in the area. He also states that it was once used for commercial transport and that people have now become helpless because they cannot engage in their daily work.He also mentions that when the road from Hunnasgiriya through Lulwatta and Corbett's Gap to Meemure is closed during heavy rains due to landslides, this road serves as the access route to Theldeniya and Medadumbara. DFC officials rejected these claims. They said that the postman serving Meemure still delivers letters on foot and that they have never obstructed him. They also stated that the chief monk's claim about using this road for Katina Pinkama ceremonies is false. Meemure villagers have their own temple within the village, and Thangappuwa villagers also have a temple in their area.Therefore, maintainingthat this road is used for Katina Pinkama ceremonies, according to forest officials, is a deliberate attempt to mislead the Human Rights Commission(HRC). The DFC officials further pointed out that although the chief monk claims that this road is used extensively by daily wage earners, this is false. They noted that while the road was used for transporting tea leaves about six decades ago, no one uses it now because tea cultivation no longer takes place in this area. As a result, the road has become a difficult, overgrown forest path that is unsuitable for transportation, the officials emphasised.
Exploiting the disaster situation
Environmental organizations stated that after attempts to reopen the Thangappuwa-Corbett's Gap road, running through the World Heritage Knuckles Mountain Range failed despite claims of promoting tourism, a group of local hotel owners, together with several rulingparty politicians at village and provincial levels, are now claiming that access to Meemure has been blocked and are once again preparing to push for the opening of this road as an alternative route.They(DFC officials) pointed out that after parts of the Hunnasgiriya-Meemure road collapsed during the recent heavy rains, an organised group has started spreading a misleading idea to the public and the government that goods can be transported to Meemurevia the Thangappuwa- Corbett's Gap road. "Meemure is a village that comes under the Ududumbara Divisional Secretariat. The Ududumbara Divisional Secretariat provides food and other essentials to those displaced by the landslides. All daily activities of the villagers are connected to the towns of Hunnasgiriya and Ududumbara, not Theldeniya. Moreover, the Thangappuwa-Corbett's Gap road only stretches as far as Corbett's Gap. From there, it is another 19 kilometres to Meemure. The main Hunnasgiriya-Meemure road has already been cleared up to the area near Corbett's Gap. Therefore, requesting this forest road through the Knuckles Range as an alternative access route to Meemure is absurd. We should also note that this request has been made by the Medadumbara Divisional Secretary and not by the Ududumbara Divisional Secretary under whose jurisdiction Meemure falls," said AnuraWickramasinghe of the Soba Padanama Foundation.
Army instructed to use dozers
In this background, on December 4, Medadumbara Divisional Secretary suddenly convened the Divisional Disaster Committee to discuss the disaster situation caused by the heavy rains. Officials from several government institutions in the area attended the meeting. The GramaNiladhari of the ThangappuwaGramaNiladhari Division, rather than focusing on the situation in his own area, suggested that the unused forest road from Thangappuwa to Corbett's Gap be prepared using a dozer as an alternative access route to Meemure. The Thangappuwa Grama Niladhari Division comes under the Medadumbara Divisional Secretariat, while drawing attention to the disaster situation affecting Meemure village in the Ududumbara Divisional Secretariat Although the Medadumbara Divisional Secretary was aware that this section falls under the jurisdiction of the FCD within the Knuckles Reserve, he had instructed the Army to clear the road with a dozer, according to the forest officials. Responding to an inquiry made by this newspaper, MedadumbaraDivisional Secretary Nuwan Hemakumara said that he did not have the authority to permit road construction on forest land owned by the FCD, but since the proposal for an access road to Meemure was raised at the meeting, he had informed the officers of the Provincial Road Development Authority, which owns the road, to proceed with constructing access to Meemure village. However, although the army arrived with a dozer to work on the road, they withdrew after the officials of FCD explained the situation.
Proposal ignored
On December 6, an emergency District Coordination Committee meeting was held at the Kandy District Secretariat Auditorium under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. This meeting was convened to review issues faced by people affected by heavy rains and landslides in the district. During the meeting, Kandy District MP E. M. Basnayake of the ruling party brought this proposal for the road to the President's attention. However, the President disregarded it and instead asked the Central Provincial General Manager of the Provincial Road Development Authority, Indika Puwakgolla, how many days it would take to open the main access road from Hunnasgiriya to Meemure. Puwakgolla stated that the road could be fully cleared within five days. As the road had still not been repaired up to Meemure village at the time this article was written, this scribe contacted Puwakgollawho made the following response: "We have already completed repairs to 11 kilometres from Hunnasgiriya, making it suitable for vehicles. We are currently removing soil from a landslide in the Attalawettuwa area. If no major road damage has occurred, we can open the Hunnasgiriya to Meemure road completely in less than a week."
Requested road affected by landslides
According to the DFC, the road from Thangappuwa to Corbett's Gap within the Knuckles forest has been damaged in twenty locations due to landslides. They added that although they cleared the initial six kilometre section, the remaining stretch from that point to Meemure has also been damaged and requires clearing. At the Kandy District Special Coordination Committee meeting, asenior Army officer pointed out to President Dissanayakethat the forest section from Thangappuwa to Corbett's Gap has been severely damaged and cannot be repaired quickly due to the extent of the landslides.
Knuckles Range and its legal framework
The Knuckles Range extends across 21,000 hectares in Sri Lanka's Central Highlands. In 1873, the British declared the cloud forests located above 5,000 feet in the Knuckles Range as a climatic reserve. This was the first legal measure introduced to protect the Knuckles ecosystem. One hundred and twenty-seven years later, in 2000, the Forest Conservation Department declared the area a Conservation Forest under the Forest Conservation Ordinance. In 2007, it was designated an Environmental Protection Area under the National Environmental Act, and in 2008, it was declared a Soil Conservation Area under the Soil Conservation Act, recognising the exceptional geological and biological value of this ecosystem. In 2010, UNESCO designated the Knuckles site as a World Heritage Site, with the expectation that this extraordinary natural heritage would be safeguarded for the benefit of all humanity. The Knuckles Mountain Range is bordered by four Divisional Secretariat Divisions in the Kandy District namely Minipe, Ududumbara, Medadumbara and Panwila and five in the Matale District namely Ukuwela, Raththota, Laggala, Pallegama and Wilgama. The Knuckles Range must be protected and safeguarded from misuse due to its irreplaceable ecological value. It forms the primary watershed of the Mahaweli River, the longest river in Sri Lanka. Around 30 percent of the Mahaweli's watershed is within the Knuckles Mountains. The Hulu Ganga, which originates on the western slope, the Kalu Ganga, which begins in the northern section of the eastern slope, and the Heen Ganga, originating in the southern section of the eastern slope, are among the river's main tributaries. Situated between 760 and 1,900 meters above sea level, the Knuckles Range comprises about 35 clearly identifiable peaks and 17 mountain ridges with Gombanigala (1904 m) as the highest and many other summits such as Knuckles (1862 m), Kirigalpottha (1646 m), Dumbanagala (1642 m), Kalupahana (1628 m), Vamarapugala (1558 m), Dothalugala (1553 m), Kehelpothdorowagala (1528 m), Pathanagala (1514 m), Thelambugala (1331 m), and Lakegala (1317 m). The Knuckles Mountains encompass a wide range of natural ecosystems with remarkable diversity. These include wet montane forests (cloud forests), dwarf forests, wet sub-montane forests, intermediate-zone montane forests, dry mixed evergreen forests, riparian forests, wet pathana grasslands, dry pathana grasslands and scrublands. These natural ecosystems are home to a high diversity of plant species. In the Knuckles Mountains, the cloud forests or upper montane forests host endemic species such as Calophyllumtrapezifolium and Calophyllumwalkeri, the endemic Garciniaechinocarpa, and rare endemic Nelu species like Strobilanthespulcherrima and Strobilanthessexennis, which are found only in this mountainous region. In the sub-montane wet forests, endemic species such as Elaeocarpusgladulifer and Myristicadactyloides occur, while the intermediate zone montane forests support endemic species like Actinodaphnestenophylla and Drypetesgardneri. In the dry mixed evergreen forests, species such as Dimocarpuslongan (Mora), Semecarpusnigroviridis (GataBadulla), and Vitexaltissima (Milla) are present. Riparian forests host species such as Diospyrosmalabarica, Ficushispida, Ficusracemosa, and the endemic Mangiferazeylanica. Wet pathanagrasslands feature species such as Elephantopusscaber, Exacumtrinervium, Mollugooppositifolia, Phyllanthusdebilis, and Utricularia bifida, while dry pathanagrasslands are dominated by species like Alstoniascholaris, Cynodondactylon, Cymbopogonnardus, and Imperatacylindrica (Illuk) and Themedatremula. Although a comprehensive study of plant diversity in the Knuckles site has not yet been conducted, a study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature identified 1,033 species of flowering plants belonging to 141 genera. Of these, 160 are endemic to Sri Lanka, 225 are woody species, and the remainder are shrubs or herbs. About 27.4% of Sri Lanka's recorded plant species and 17.3% of Sri Lanka's plant endemic species are found in the Knuckles Mountain Range. Six plant species are endemic to this site globally. These include Calophyllumcuneifolium, Syzygiumcongylos, Syzygiummadugodensis, Eugenia apica, and the recently discovered impatiens jacobdevlasii. The Brachystelmalankana, found in the pathanagrasslands such as PitawalaPathanaof the Knuckles site, is also endemic here. The wet montane forests, sub-montanewet forests, and riparian forests are especially rich in orchids and ground ferns. Orchid species include Adrorhizonpurpurascens, Eria bicolor, Podochilusfalcatus, Malaxispurpurea, Pholidotaimbricata, and Vanda tessellata. In total, 42 fern species have been identified, six of which are endemic to Sri Lanka. Rare fern species such as Elaphoglossumspathulatum, Botrychiumdaucifolium, Huperziaphyllantha, and Psilotumnudum are also reported from this site. Regarding faunal diversity, significant studies have been conducted on the five vertebrate groups as well as invertebrates such as butterflies and land snails. By compiling data on the above seven animal groups from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, various researchers, and the studies conducted by the author, a good understanding of the animal diversity in this area can be obtained. A total of 479 species belonging to seven animal groupsnamely amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, mammals, butterflies, and land snailshave been recorded from the Knuckles Mountain Range. Nine amphibian species are endemic to the Knuckles Mountain Range. These are Pseudophilautusfulvus (Knuckles Shrub Frog), Pseudophilautushoffmanni (Hoffmann's Shrub Frog), Pseudophilautusmacropus (Bigfoot Shrub Frog), Pseudophilautusmooreorum (Moore's Shrub Frog), Pseudophilautussteineri (Steiner's Shrub Frog), Pseudophilautusstuarti (Stuart's Shrub Frog), Pseudophilautushankeni (Hanken's shrub frog,), Nannophrysmarmorata(marbled streamlined frog) and Lankanectespera (Dumbara Corrugated Frog) Among the fish species recorded from the Knuckles Mountains, one species is endemic to the area, while two others the Labeofisheri and the DumbaraPethiya (Systomusmartenstyni) are found in several areas of the Mahaweli River in and around the Knuckles Mountains. The only fish species strictly endemic to the Knuckles Mountains is the Mal Pethiya or DankuduPethiya (Dawkinsiasrilankensis). Although the DumbaraPethiya has often been described as endemic to the Knuckles Mountains, research has confirmed that it is also recorded up to the Deke Ela of the Mahaweli River. Researchers believe that several other fish species may potentially become recognised as endemic to the Knuckles Mountains in the future. Of the four-legged reptile species recorded in Sri Lanka, four lizard species and three snake species are found only in the Knuckles site globally. These include the Leaf-nosed lizard (Ceratophoratennentii), Knuckles pygmy lizard (Cophotisdumbara), Pethiyagoda's crestless lizard (Calotespethiyagodai), Smith's snake skink(Nessiabipes), Phillips's earth snake (Rhinophisphillipsi), Gunasekara's shieldtail snake (Rhinophisgunasekarai), and De Silva's rough-sided snake, (Aspiduradesilvai). Among Sri Lanka's 35 endemic bird species, 32 are recorded in the Knuckles Mountains. Only three endemic species, which are found exclusively in the Sabaragamuwa Mountains, are absent from this region. Many rare endemic birds, including the Sri Lanka Woodpigeon, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Sri Lanka Warbler, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Hill White-eye, and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, inhabit the various ecosystems of the Knuckles Mountain Range. Although comprehensive studies on spiders in the Knuckles site are lacking, the endemic spider Suffasiamahasumana, described by S.P. Benjamin and R. Jocque in 2000, is recorded only from this area. Furthermore, the Knuckles Mountains are home to four endemic freshwater crab species: Ceylonthelphusasanguinea, Ceylonthelphusacallista, Ceylonthelphusacavatrix, and Perbrinkiafido. All these species contribute significantly to the unique biological heritage of the Knuckles site. Environmentalist Sajeewa Chamikara noted: "After a conservation forest is declared under sub-section 3A(1) of the Forest Conservation Ordinance, a management plan must be prepared in accordance with sub-sections 3A(3) and (4) of the ordinance. Only on this basis can specific actions be implemented. Without such a plan, it is not possible for tourism operators, Members of Parliament, or Divisional Secretaries to undertake activities within a conservation forest.According to section 6, all activities such as unauthorised entry into the Knuckles Conservation Forest, cutting or removing plants or plant parts, clearing land, constructing roads, or altering or using a road are strictly prohibited."