“Trikonamadu is one of the oldest forest reserves in Sri Lanka and extends to the areas of Kantale, Serunuwara, Werugal, and Wakare in Trincomalee and Batticaloa Districts. However, most of the Trikonamadu forest area is located in the Divisional Secretariat Division of Welikanda in Polonnaruwa District which is managed/ governed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and the remaining forest area of Trikonamadu managed/ governed by the Department of Forest Conservation and some areas of archeological importance are managed by the Department of Archeology as Archaeological Reserves. This case was filed on 4th of April 2023 in the Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka by Centre for Environmental Justice, Mr. Hemantha Withanage and Pathragoda Kankanamge Dilena.

Approximately 1500 acres of forest land in the lower southern part of the Sinhapura – Seruwila road drawn in the middle of the Trikonamadu natural reserve in a south–north direction in Suriyawewa village, Sinhapura Division and in Divisional Secretariat Division of Welikanda, is being cleared for the purpose of cultivation of maize. This forest area which is located in between Trikonamadu Nature Reserve and the buffer zone of the Somawathiya National Park is home to about 300–400 elephants who use this forest patch as the corridor to travel from Maduru Oya towards Somawathiya, Kawdulla, and Wasgamuwa. Clearing this forest will only result in elephants entering nearby villages such as Sinhapura and Suriyawewa in an attempt to pass through, ultimately resulting in Human- Elephant Conflict. Furthermore, As per the sub section 20(f) of Forest Conservation Ordinance, making any clearings in such forests is illegal and according to the sub section 20(k), clearing or breaking up soil or digging any land for cultivation or any other purpose or cultivate any land already cleared shall be guilty of an offense.
The petitioners are requesting to issue a Writ of Mandamus to take steps to halt the clearing of the forest lands in the area, to prepare an Elephant Management Plan, compelling the 3rd Respondents to take actions/ legal action in terms of the National Environmental Act for the illegal clearing of the forest lands."

On 10.11.2023 learned State Counsel who is appearing on behalf of the Hon. The Attorney General informs court that they can inform the relevant authorities until this matter is taken up not to clear the forest.

Subsequently, the Court of Appeal directed on 12.02.2024 to issue the Notices to the respondents overruling the objections of the respondents.