Dambulla Cave Temple, Galle Fort risk losing ‘World Heritage Site’ status: Akila

The Dambulla cave temple and Galle Fort are at a risk of losing the ‘World Heritage Site’ status, Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said.

The minister made this revelation while addressing a press conference at Sirikotha yesterday. He said the UNESCO has recently warned that the above two sites would have to be removed from the World Heritage Site list considering the deterioration of their conditions.

“The negligence of the Archeological Department has contributed to this state of affairs. It has not taken adequate measures to conserve them during the previous reign. Now we have taken urgent measures to improve their conditions and conserve them.

We have also sought the help of international experts in this regard” he said.

He said the law has not been implemented by the previous government for the illegal settlements in these heritage sites. “Even in the East, the Department has failed to identify the archeological sites and mark their boundaries after the war ended. Now we are strictly implementing the law and no illegal settlements are allowed in reservation areas” he said.

The Golden Temple of Dambulla (Len Viharaya) was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1991 and, the old town of Galle and its fortifications were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1988. 

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