5/5 Suranjith N. 2 years ago on Google
Originally
in
1980s,
the
area
was
a
paddy
field.
Part
of
the
land
was
used
to
build
the
parliament
lake
in
late
1970s.
The
other
part
was
used
to
deposit
dredge
material.
Gradually,
the
land
become
heavily
covered
with
invasive
species
and
transformed
to
a
wetland.
During
the
flood
occur
in
2010,
government
initiated
to
reconstruct
and
modify
the
area
as
a
wetland.
The
land
was
divided
into
several
small
islands
and
artificial
canals
were
made.
Currently,
park
premises
serve
as
a
flood
detention
area
by
absorbing
flood
water
during
heavy
storms
and
reduce
inundation
of
the
parliament
area.
The
program
to
establish
the
park
was
initiated
by
Land
Reclamation
and
Development
Cooperation.
The
name
"Diyasaru"
is
for
'rich
in
water'
in
Sinhala.
The
vision
of
the
park
is
“Releasing
the
Stress
of
Urbanization”.
The
park
is
an
artificially
built
wetland
near
new
Parliament
Complex
in
Sri
Jayawardanapura.
It
lies
hidden
behind
the
Parliament
on
the
Japan
Sri
Lanka
friendship
road.
It
is
opposite
to
Diyawanna
Oya
where
Beddagana
Wetland
Park
is
situated.
Diyasaru
park
is
home
for
more
than
250
species
of
animals
across
all
ranges
including
molluscs,
arthropods
and
vertebrates.
Many
rare
and
migrant
birds,
butterflies,
dragonflies,
mammals,
many
types
of
fishes
including
endemics,
amphibians,
and
reptiles
are
abundant.
Numerically,
there
are
about
more
than
80
species
of
wetland
birds
including
50
species
of
migratory
birds,
15
species
of
fish
including
three
endemics,
40
species
of
butterflies,
28
species
of
dragonflies,
28
species
of
reptiles,
7
species
of
mammals.
A
part
of
the
park
is
reserved
for
five
endangered
fishing
cats.
Otters,
purple
faced
leaf
monkeys
and
estuarine
crocodiles
are
also
found
in
park
sections6
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