The cardamom cultivation which was a major threat to the Knuckles forest reserve has been removed to a greater extent and forest lands belonging to the Lands Reforms Commission will be vested with the Forest Conservation Department (FCD), said Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.

Addressing a press conference at the ministry Wednesday, the minister said that permission is not given to new cardomom cultivation in these lands. He said permission is given only to reap the harvest of existing cultivations and once the harvest is reaped the re- cultivation is not permitted.

Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said that attention is being paid to make the eco -friendly certification compulsory for products exported from Sri Lanka. He observed that this move is necessary since eco -friendly certification has become compulsory for the majority of products in many countries around the world.

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) in Sri Lanka and the Science and Environment Centre (SEC) in New Delhi, India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on environmental training programmes last week at the CEA premises in Battaramulla.

Twenty nine percent of diesel vehicles and 23 percent of petrol vehicles in government institutions have failed the vehicle emission test, a spokesperson for the Environment Ministry told the Daily News yesterday.

She observed that under the direction of Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, a special programme has been implemented to conduct the vehicle emission test for the vehicles in government institutions.

The overall environmental performance is improving in Sri Lanka and it has been ranked as a moderate performer, according to the 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) released during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week.

The Forest Conservation Department (FCD) has carried out reforestation in about 2,000 hectares of forest land during 2011, FCD Conservator General H M Hitisekara told the Daily News.

He said that special attention was given to reforestation in hill tops. Accordingly, 386 hectares of forest cover had been replanted in hill tops during this year. Hitisekara said that this will help restore the affected eco systems in hill tops over the past years

The Environment Ministry is reviewing the country's environment education system, said Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa. He said that the International Union for Conservation of Nature Sri Lanka Office is assisting the ministry in this task.

The Minister said that the aim of this review is to assess the situation and improve the status of environment awareness, education and training in the country. The minister was addressing the 5th IUCN Asia Region Conservation Forum held in Korea from September 26 to 30.

The Forest Conservation Department (FCD) has not granted permission for a forest clearance within the one mile buffer zone of the Wilpattu National Park, said Conservator General H M Hitisekera when inquired by the Daily News yesterday.

He said that any forest land coming under the department in the Wanathawilluwa Divisional Secretariat Division had not been released for any institution to carry out agricultural projects.

Project proponents should prepare Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports in a manner that the public can comprehend easily, Environmental Lawyer Jagath Gunawardena said .

He said that EIA reports were subjected to public scrutiny at scoping sessions and public hearing sessions. He said that public participation and feedback on them have been declining due to the complicated manner in which the reports were presented.

Environment friendly industries and services were recognized for their contribution in environmental conservation at the first National Green Awards ceremony organized by the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) held at the BMICH recently.

Twenty five winners received their awards from chief guest President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The event was organized to mark the 30th anniversary of the CEA.