Land ravaged by gem mining to be reclaimed

Chamikara Weerasinghe

The National Gem and Jewellery Authority has launched a program to reclaim lands ravaged by gem mining in a project to restore lands devastated by irregular gem mining.

National Gem and Jewelery Authority Chairman, Hasitha Tillekeratna said the Authority expects to procure gems from lands that are “environmentally-sensitive” with the use of modern gem mining technologies under its Mined Land Reclamation program.

”This would contribute to increase the national income,” he said. He said the National Gem and Jewellery Authority has been able to improve several State-owned mined lands, which have been abandoned after mining for gems, under the Mined Land Reclamation Program.

”Rilhena estate, the State-owned land in Ratnapura, is one of them to have been improved under the program,” he said.

“We have rehabilitated the Castlereigh Reservoir damaged by irregular mining,” he added. ”We are also planning to introduce a tree planting program to go side by side with the Reclamation program. We plan to get the support of community organisations for the program,” he said.