COLOMBO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi has directed officials to renovate elephant fences damaged by Cyclone Ditwah within one week.
The ministry announced on Sunday that the order was issued during a progress review meeting held on Saturday on the restoration of fences severely affected by last month's cyclone.
The ministry said extensive damage has been reported across a number of areas affected by the Human Elephant Conflict (HEC).
HEC is a serious problem in certain parts of Sri Lanka. According to official data, there were 438 elephant deaths and 158 human deaths in 2025. ■
