Sri Lanka, May 26 -- The Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka today (26) informed the Court of Appeal that steps are being taken to return ancestral lands in Rambakan Oya and Pollabedda to the indigenous communities who traditionally occupied them.

The announcement was made during the hearing of a petition filed by the leader of the indigenous community Uruwarige Wannila Aththo and the Environmental Foundation, challenging the allocation of those lands to private companies.

The petition, filed in 2021, contests a decision by the Mahaweli Authority to transfer traditional indigenous lands in Pollabedda and Rambakan Oya to private entities.

During today's proceedings, the Mahaweli Authority informed court that measures are underway to restore...