Devani Jayathilleke, a Wildlife officer in Gampaha, took a bold stance at a district committee meeting yesterday when she refused to release a wildlife land for the construction of a playground.

The meeting was chaired by State Minister Sanath Nisnatha Perera and was attended by several other political authorities in the area.

The State Minister told the wildlife official that people had no place to live due to wildlife and coastal conservation regulations.

At that point, the official said she was not in a position to accommodate any request in violation of environmental regulations.

She also said the forest cover in the area remained at an abysmally low level and if it decreased further people would not have sufficient oxygen levels to breathe.

At that point, a villager who was present at the meeting said they did not need oxygen, as their children did not have a playground.

"If they claim that they don't need oxygen, I don't want to argue further. We have studied these subjects for years and passed the exams. We are here to make the right decisions and not to pander to the whims and fancies of the people," she responded.

The official's forthright attitude was widely commended by many people who expressed views on social media.