Nov 08, Colombo: Conservator General of operations of Sri Lanka's Department of Forest Conservation K.P. Ariyadasa says that 55 forest reserves of the island were surveyed totally and gazetted this year.

The surveyed areas of the forest reserves cover 256,689 hectares, the official said.

The government expects to protect the forest coverage of the country through this measure. By the law, human activities are strictly restricted in the forest reserves.

The gazetted list include one forest in Anuradhapura district, seven in Badulla, one in Hambantota, one in Kalutara, One in Matale, three in Moneragala, four in Polonnaruwa, nine in Puttalam, six in Mannar, four in Kilinochchi, eight in Mullaitivu, six in Vavuniya and four in Trincomalee.

Sri Lanka Ministry of Environment decided in May this year to declare 17 jungles in seven districts - Mannar, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura and Colombo - as national forest reserves.

The Department has initiated several programmes to increase the country's forest cover following the completion of a survey conducted in 2010 to determine the current forest cover.