The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has advised that the Hatton access route to Sri Pada remain closed to pilgrims until its recommended safety measures are implemented, following a detailed assessment of recent landslide activity in the Mahagiri Dambaya area.
NBRO’s recommendations follow an inspection carried out by a team of experts on 2 December, after a landslide was reported along the Hatton trail leading to the Sri Padasthana. The assessment found the area to be seismically unstable, prompting the organisation to formally caution against public movement along the route.
In a letter addressed to the District Secretaries of Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya, the NBRO stressed that devotees should not be allowed to enter the unstable zone via the Hatton entrance under current conditions. The organisation, however, noted that limited passage may be permitted strictly for essential services and mandatory religious activities. Such access, it said, must be managed with enhanced nighttime lighting and continuous monitoring of ground instability.
The NBRO has outlined several immediate stabilisation measures, including repairing the damaged section of the staircase using concrete or random rubble masonry anchored to bedrock, constructing 300 mm side walls along the steps to divert water away from the slip area, sealing visible cracks in unstable rock sections with cement, and building a 500 mm retaining wall on the lower road section to reduce debris flow. It also recommended the careful removal of overhanging plant material, bushes and loose soil in the vicinity of the landslide.
NBRO Director General Dr. Eng. Asiri Karunawardena stated that the Hatton route could be reopened to pilgrims once these mitigation steps are completed. The letter has also been copied to the Chief Incumbent of the Sri Padasthana Ven. Bengamuwe Dhammadinna Thera, the Governors of the Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces, the Deputy Minister of Defence, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, the Army Commander, the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of Forest Conservation.
