ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has recruited 3,451 people into the state sector to maintain electric fences erected to keep elephants away from settlements.
Electric fence maintenance assistants currently serving in the Department of Wildlife were given permanent posts as Electric Fence Maintenance Assistant Grade III by Environment Minister Dammika Patabedi.
“This is the first time this government has given a large number of people appointments at once, and the support of the appointees are required to minimize the human-elephant conflict,” he was quoted as saying in a government statement.
Sri Lanka has so far constructed 437 electric fences across the island, spanning 5,644 kilometers, with 647 electric fence power stations in operation.
Sri Lanka was estimated to have around 7,000 elephants around the country based on a 2022 survey.
The workforce would amount to about one Maintenance Assistant for 2 elephants.
Sri Lanka already has a bloated public sector. (Colombo/Jun14/2025)
