Kalametiya Lagoon Bird Sanctuary

Kalametiya Lagoon Bird Sanctuary

Kalametiya Lagoon Bird Sanctuary , also known as Lunama-Kalametiya Wetland Sanctuary (Sinhala: කලමැටිය කලපු කුරුළු අභයභූමිය), is one of the  Sanctuaries in Sri Lanka . It is situated on the south coast, about 20 km west of Hambantota town. The Bata Atha Agro Technology Park is located close to this lagoon. History The area had been originally a sanctuary by 1940 but the designation was removed in 1946 because of opposition from locals (Green, 1990). However, due to a prolonged campaign by conservation bodies, the area was re-designated as a sanctuary on 28 June 1984 (Green, 1990). Physical features & Climate The total area of the sanctuary is 712 ha and it is a popular wetland for birds (Green, 1990). The wetland comprises two lagoons namely Kalametiya and Lunama located west of the mouth of the  Walawe Ganga River  (Green, 1990). The smaller Lunama Lagoon covers 192 ha and the Kalametiya Lagoon about 606 ha (Ekanayake et al., 2005). The Kalametiya lagoon opens to the sea by a narrow man-m…