The country has deployed 5,000 Civil Security Department (CSD) officers to support efforts to curb the growing human-elephant conflict, Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala said.
Responding to a question from a lawmaker on Monday, Wijepala said 3,975 officers have already been assigned, with the remainder to be deployed soon to assist the Wildlife Conservation Department in protecting both communities and elephants.
The minister said an additional 10,000 CSD officers will also be deployed to assist the police, with special allowances to be provided for their duties.
Human-elephant conflict is a serious problem in Sri Lanka, resulting in the deaths of 3,477 wild elephants and 1,190 people in the country between 2015 and 2024, according to official data. — Bernama
