Sri Lanka Parliament Approves Second Reading of National Environment Amendment Bill
Colombo, The Gulf Observer: Sri Lanka’s Parliament on Wednesday approved the second reading of the National Environment (Amendment) Bill with a substantial majority, marking a significant step toward strengthening the country’s environmental governance framework.
According to parliamentary voting results, 113 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the Bill, while 10 voted against it, giving the legislation a majority of 102 votes at the second reading stage. More than 100 lawmakers were absent during the vote.
The opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) staged a walkout after expressing opposition to provisions of the Bill related to Provincial Councils. However, SJB parliamentarian Nizam Kariapper remained in the chamber and voted against the legislation.
The proposed amendments are aimed at modernizing Sri Lanka’s environmental laws by enhancing the powers of the Central Environmental Authority, strengthening environmental impact assessment procedures, improving waste management regulations, and introducing stricter mechanisms for environmental protection and enforcement.
Following the committee stage, the Bill proceeded to its third reading and was passed with amendments, advancing the government’s efforts to update the country’s environmental regulatory framework in response to emerging environmental and institutional challenges.
