The Air Force is to be deployed to crackdown on deforestation, the Defence Ministry said yesterday.
Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has advised the military and Police to curb deforestation.
As a result the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) will be deployed to monitor deforestation using their air assets.
The Defence Secretary yesterday requested District Secretaries/Government Agents to be vigilant and stand against the destruction of the environment.
He also said that a special unit has been established to arrest suspects involved in land grabbing.
Maj. Gen. Gunaratne also said that District Secretaries/Government Agents in Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha have taken appropriate action by consulting the state authorities and National Operations Centre for the Prevention of the COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) to prevent the coronavirus pandemic from spreading.
