COLOMBO (News 1st): The Ministry of Highways has decided NOT to remove the Sri Lankan Legume tree in Daraluwa and go ahead with the construction of the Central Expressway, the Ministry of Forest Conservation said.

Thereby, the Central Expressway will be constructed without causing any damage to the Sri Lankan Legume or Crudia zeylanica tree, the Ministry of Wildlife & Forest Conservation told News 1st on Wednesday (Feb. 17).

Speaking to News 1st, Bandula Harischandra, the Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife & Forest Conservation said, Secretary to the Ministry of Highways – Ranjith Premasiri informed him about the decision.

The Ministry of Wildlife & Forest Conservation earlier requested the Highways Ministry not to remove the Sri Lanka Legume Tree at the expressway site.

A Sri Lankan Legume Tree was was discovered near the Daraluwa Railway Station in Gampaha, leading to much controversy over the attempts to remove the endangered plant.

The rare species of Crudia zeylanica or Sri Lankan Legume was discovered and named a new species in 1868.

The IUCN Red List of 2006 categorized the species as extinct; so does the National Red List of 2012, prepared by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Environment.

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