Illegal gem miners take advantage of fuel shortage

By Ifham Nizam

Illegal gem mining, at the Yala National Park, had increased, with Wildlife Department officials claiming to be unable to conduct  raids due to the current fuel shortage, Environmentalist Sajeewa Chamikara said. He told The Island yesterday large-scale illegal gem mining was on in areas, such as Kailakumbura, near Kumbukkanoyya, in Zone No. 4, in Yala and the Ruhunu National Park.

The area is a no-go zone for ordinary visitors.”It is high time the Wildlife Department Conservation and Forest Department were made essential services,” Chamikara said, noting that some gem businessmen from the Okkampitiya area employed about 300 men to destroy over 100 acres of the national park in search of gems.

The massive operation was being carried out with the help of backhoes and mechanical gem washing machines. “The biggest issue is the exacerbation of the human-elephant due to these illegal actions as the elephants, which have lost their habitat in the national park, are entering surrounding villages and farmlands.”

The ongoing operations are in violation of the Wildlife and Flora Protection Ordinance.

According to Section 5 of this Act, it is also illegal to enter the National Park without a permit. According to Section 6 of the Act, all activities, including destruction of plants, clearing of land and mining in the National Park, are illegal.

According to sub-section 67B1 of the Act, a person engaged in any illegal activity, in a national park, can be arrested without a warrant. Persons who engaged in those acts cannot obtain bail from  the Wildlife Conservation Department and should be produced before a Magistrate’s Court, according to Section 63 of the Act., Chamikara said.

A person found guilty by a Magistrate’s Court can be fined between Rs 20,000 and Rs. 100,000 and/or imprisoned for two to five years.