News
The destruction of ancient tanks
View(s):Government restrictions placed on the mining and sale of sand and earth has created a big demand for this resource especially at new development projects. Resultantly the mining and sale of these two products has become a major business.
Story and pix by Augustin Fernando
In an unfortunate turn of events the mega bucks this commodity fetches has led to strip mining of ancient tanks which have until now withstood the ravages of time and the elements.
Villagers charge tanks beds are being damaged by unscrupulous persons who have captured power of certain farmers organizations and are involved in strip mining the beds of the Mundalama and Kaakapalliya tanks in Chilaw, under the guise of renovating the tanks, utilizing permits issued by the authorities.
They add the organisations are engaged in a large-scale racket to sell sand and clay extracted from the tanks. Non-availability of government funds for the renovation of tanks in the Puttalam District, has been the leading cause for sub-contracting the renovation of tanks to farmers societies
While permission has been granted to remove and sell the silt and clay during the renovation process, the group is mining clay and earth way beyond permitted limits and are in the process destroying the tank itself.
They add the group also set fire to the forest reserve surrounding the tank and are in league with particular officials from the Department of Agrarian Services, who are expected to monitor the process.
As such, complaints continue to fall on deaf ears, they claim.
The Commissioner of Department of Agrarian Development, D.V. Bandulasena said the department had given permission to remove the top layer of silt and clay in the tank and anything beyond that was illegal.
He has pledged to launch an investigation. Meanwhile, Grama Niladharis in the Ambalantota Divisional Secretariat protested an alleged assault of the Walewatta East Grama Niladhari by a group of sand miners.
Once this was a tank. It now resembles a playing field!
The group has illicitly set fire to the forest reserve surrounding the tank
On the pretext of renovating tanks unscrupulous elements are strip-mining the tank beds of the Mundalama and the Kaakapalliya tanks in Chilaw