Hasthi Sena operation to be formalised under new policy framework

Daily Mirror reports that the government has decided to take steps to formalise Hasthi Sena, an ongoing joint operation intended to protect wild elephants and tuskers and reduce human-elephant conflict. Newswire describes the operation as a joint effort by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Sri Lanka’s three armed forces.

Newswire reports that proposals to expand the operation were discussed at a meeting at the Ministry of Environment on the ninth, chaired by Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakody and attended by the ministry secretary and senior officials from the armed forces. The date is given as “today (09)” in the report.

Newswire says officials discussed deploying special Army protection units along migration routes in high-risk areas, particularly where solitary tuskers and herds with calves are found. The proposals also include continuous monitoring of elephants in high-risk migration zones and nearby ecosystems.

Newswire reports that the meeting considered intelligence-led operations and targeted raids against networks involved in making, distributing and using hakka patas, trap guns and illegal firearms. It says officials decided to submit a Cabinet memorandum to formalise and expand Hasthi Sena under a structured policy and legal framework.