Defence Secretary meets with CSD officials in
addressing Human-Elephant Conflict
January 16, 2025
Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyakontha (Retd) chaired a special discussion with senior Civil Security Department (CSD) officials at the Defence Ministry on Wednesday (Jan 15) on resolving the human-elephant conflict in the country.
The Civil Security Department plays an important role in maintaining elephant fences in areas where human-elephant conflicts exist and providing assistance to the Department of Wildlife to protect people and the pachyderms. The Asian elephant is a protected species in Sri Lanka.
The Civil Defence Force directly and actively contributes to controlling human-elephant conflicts, which have become a major problem that has adverse effects on the environment and socio-economic aspects. This discussion was held to scrutinize the CSD’s role and how innovative solutions can be implemented to find a lasting for the human-elephant conflict.
CSD officials including Additional Director General, Rear Admiral W.B.D.E.M. Sudarshana, Director Operations, Brigadier M.S. Weligama, and several senior officers.
