Madhu Road National Park (Tamil: மடு றோட் தேசிய பூங்கா, romanized: Maṭu Ṟōṭ Tēciya Pūṅkā; Sinhala: මඩු පාර ජාතික වනෝද්යානය, romanized: Maḍu Pāra Jātika Vanōdyānaya ) is a national park in northern Sri Lanka, approximately 25 km (16 mi) east of Mannar.
History
The Madhu Road area was designated as a sanctuary on 28 June 1968 under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (No. 2) of 1937.[1][2] The sanctuary had an area of 26,677 ha (65,920 acres).[1][2]
Following the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War the government announced plans to convert various sanctuaries in the Northern Province into national parks.[3][4] The sanctuary was subject to illegal sand excavation, tree felling and unplanned development by the government.[5][6] An Integrated Strategic Environmental Assessment of Northern Province produced by the government with the assistance of United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Environment Programme and published in October 2014 recommended that Madhu Road sanctuary, excluding developed areas, and the surrounding state-owned forests be upgraded to a national park.[7] The recommendation would see the sanctuary's area grow from 26,677 ha (65,920 acres) to 63,067 ha (155,843 acres) as a result of absorbing state-owned forests nearby.[8] The Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu would be located inside the national park.[8][9]
In May 2015 the government announced that Madhu Road, along with Adam's Bridge, Chundikkulam and Delft would be designated national parks.[9] Madhu Road sanctuary became a national park on 22 June 2015 with an area of 63,067 ha (155,843 acres).[10][a]
