Govt. to appoint retired military officer to oversee mining sites

Mysterious disappearance of explosives from Mawanella quarry

By Ifham Nizam

A high ranking retired army officer is to be appointed to oversee all granite quarries handling explosives as the government has commenced an investigation into the incident of damaging a Buddha statue in Mawanella and the disappearance of explosives in a mine in that area.

State Minister Kanaka Herath said that a formal investigation into the incident was already underway and legal action would be taken against those responsible soon.

Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has decided to appoint a high ranking retired Army officer to oversee all quarries handling explosives following the disappearance of a stock of explosives from a granite quarry in Mawanella.

Amaraweera said: “This incident is a cause for concern. That is why I decided to appoint the committee. This officer will also look at illegal activities that are taking place in quarries. He will also look into the harm caused to the environment as well as to the people living around quarries”.

The army officer would be attached to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, the minister said. “The usual practice is that following the issuance of a permit by the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau for the quarrying of rock, a report is submitted to the Ministry of Defence to obtain the explosives.”

He said that there had always been concerns that quarry owners obtained more explosives than needed. “Sometimes, we wonder if such a large quantity of granite can be excavated daily. With the disappearance of the explosives from a quarry in Mawanella, we need to figure out if these explosives have found their way into the wrong hands.”