The Hon. Anton Jayakody
Hon. Anton Jayakody addressed congestion at Yala’s Palatupana entrance to Block 1, noting that visitor pressure exceeds the ecosystem’s carrying capacity and risks environmental degradation. He outlined existing and proposed alternative entry points, including Katagamuwa, Galge, Thanamalwila-Kalupahana, Ginwewa, Angamuwa, and Bembawa, and said officials had inspected these sites. He stated that internet connectivity, adequate staffing, rapid ticketing, and standardized gate improvements would be provided to distribute visitors more evenly and reduce pressure on Block 1.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Member, most visitors enter via Palatupana to Block 1, where congestion exceeds the ecosystem’s carrying capacity, risking degradation. Katagamuwa also leads into Block 1; Galge leads to Blocks 4 and 5; Thanamalwila-Kalupahana access to Block 6; and proposed entries exist at Ginwewa, Angamuwa, and the Bembawa location you mentioned. We, along with the Minister, the Secretary, and officials, inspected these places. We will provide internet connectivity and sufficient staff for rapid ticketing at all gates. Palatupana is popular due to its attractive gate; we plan to standardize and improve all entry gates to the same structure and quality so that congestion at Block 1 can be reduced by better distributing entries.
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Tuesday, 20 May 2025 ·No. 1749010823009957 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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/lk/speeches/25786
Cite as: The Hon. Anton Jayakody. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 20 May 2025. No. 1749010823009957. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/25786