News
Sand miners beached by permit ban
About 6000 people engaged in the sand mining industry in Deraniyagala are struggling to make ends meet following both a police crackdown and a decision by local authorities to stop issuing licences for sand transport boats. The sand miners have been asked to use cane baskets to mine and transport the goods manually to the shore, a tedious process. They can barely manage to mine two cubes of sand a day under this restriction.
The Chairman of the Sand Miners’ Association in the Karanawella area in Deraniyagala, Anuradha Manojkumara said sand mining had been carried out for generations and the work was done without harming the environment.
“We use boats without power engines for transporting the sand in obedience to a decision taken at the Deraniyagala Pradeshiya Sabha which said that power-engined boats cause sand erosion and damage the river banks and the river bed,” Mr. Manojkumara said.
The average price of a cube of sand has risen sharply in recent weeks with the selling price climbing to Rs15,000-16,000, from around Rs. 4,000 (powerboats), plus additional transport costs as sand is now transported from distant areas such as Welihena, Yatiyantota and Mawanella.
Sand miner P.J.P.K. Jayaratne said the miners’ association, which was formed a few years ago, had acted to protect the environment and prevent erosion along the Sitawaka River. “We planted bamboos and shady trees like kumbuk along the banks as they prevent erosion,” Mr. Jayaratna said.
The miners say an association was formed a few years ago to protect the environment and prevent erosion along the Sitawaka River. Pix by Somachandra Yakandawala
He warned that if sand mining was prevented in the area, the government-driven construction boom could falter. Another miner, N.M.R. Priyantha Kumara, pointed to the ripple effect of curtailing mining activity saying each licence holder employed about five people. He maintained that the workers strictly adhered to regulations.
The new regulations have meant hardship for thousands in the area, including truck owners, construction workers, traders and others who are indirectly linked to sand mining. Most are finding it hard to get by on restricted mining and are doing whatever work they can find to get by.
M.K. Jayasena, a mason, said for 40 years he had made an income from the sand industry and this ban had severely affected his livelihood. “It is only the Deraniyagala PS that is imposing such restrictions. Adjoining Divisional Secretariat divisions have allowed sand mining to continue,” he said.
Deranayagala Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman W.A. Anura Wijesooriya admitted that the restrictions placed on the sand miners had affected their livelihoods and also hampered development work in the area. He said the issue had been discussed with the DS of the area and a solution to the problem was expected soon.
Deraniyagala Police OIC Gayan Prasanna said the new rules and police crackdown came into force because the use of boats was harming the environment and there had been complaints about over-mining in the area. He said the authorities were issuing weekly permits to use boats but the sand miners claim this is not the case.
Local residents allege the police crackdown is an act of revenge for evidence given by local residents that some officers had connections with the underworld figures linked to the recent murder of the manager of Noori estate.