The first ever dry zone botanic gardens in Sri Lanka at Mirijjawila in Hambantota has gained wide popularity among the environmentalists, botanists, sight seers school children teachers scholars and tourists from various countries around the globe.
The construction work on the dry zone botanic gardens commenced on July 20, 2006.
Rupees five-hundred million was allocated for the development of the dry zone botanical gardens which is in extent of 300 acres. The first stage of the construction work came to a climax on November 14, 2013 and was opened for the visitors. About eighty percent of the construction work of the second stage has been completed and the construction work will come to a climax in 2020.
The dry zone botanical gardens consists of plants and trees and herbal plants that are grown in dry zone butterfly garden plant nursery student park plant conservation unit flower garden and ornamental bushes. Sumith Ekanayaka, the officer in charge of the dry zone botanical gardens said that the director general of the Peradeniya botanic gardens K.N.Yapa is managing the dry zone botanic gardens under the guidance of the ministry of sustainable development and wild life.
Sumith Ekanayaka said that there are three botanic gardens in Sri Lanka and that they are creations of Englismen and that the dry zone botanic gardens is the only one set up by locals using local technology and expertise.
The construction work of this dry zone botanic gardens commenced under the guidance of the former director general botanic gardens Peradeniya Cyril Wijesundera who retired from ther post sometimes back.