Committee to identify lands for sandmining, chena cultivation and rock stone worksites
 

by Florence Wickramage

Environemnt and Natural Resources Minister A. H. M. Fowzie has appointed a special committee to identify and report on lands islandwide that could be released for chena cultivation, sand mining and rock-stone worksites in districts where the main livelihood of the people are the above identified industries.

The appointment of the committee comprising officials of the Departments of Wildlife conservation, Forest Conservation, Central Environmental Authority, Geology and Mines Bureau, Divisional Secretaries and peoples' representatives is the result of a recent inspection tour of the Anuradhapura district undertaken by the Minister.

Fowzie said that on receipt of the report and the committee recommendations, the Ministry will initiate action to grant legal permission for those engaged in these activities. During his tour, Minister Fowzie initiated tree planting campaigns in several schools in the district and the waste recycling, bio-gas and bio-fertilser production programme jointly launched by the Kekirawa Pradeshiya Sabha and the Central Province Rural Project.

In addition, the Minister has instructed officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation to finalise work on the erection of electric fences and cutting of trenches to protect elephants, villagers and their cultivations affected through the human-elephant conflict. The human-elephant conflict is severe in the Wyamba Province.

Minister Fowzie cautioned his officials that their prime duty was to protect the environment and not to seek personal glory in the positions they are placed in. In the discharge of his duties, the Minister said Environment takes priority above all other considerations such as party, family and other affiliations.