Illegal gem mining ruins wildlife park, officials unable to act

By Ifham Nizam

Officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation yesterday said that illegal gem mining was taking place in the buffer zone of the Gal Oya National Park, but they were unable to take any action as other state institutions promoted it.

The mining activities were taking place with neither an Initial Impact Assessment (IIA) nor an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), officials said.

A senior official of the Department said that the Survey Department, the Gems and Jewellery Authority and Agrarian Services had allowed illegal gem mining.

The official also said that those involved in mining activities entered the Park, purchasing tickets.

The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Policy and Advocacy and Campaign Officer, Janaka Withanage, told The Island,

“In the request letter to Minister S.M. Chandrasena, the mine owner has admitted that the land is located within the Wildlife Conservation Area. Accordingly, if any activity takes place in this area, it should be subject to an IIA or EIA.”

Withanage said that when comparing the two letters of permission, the name of the land was mentioned in two different ways. In one letter it was mentioned as Pohonthota and in the other letter it is indicated as Ulwela Kumbura.

According to Section 10 of the permit, excavations should only be done between 7.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. and no accommodation or camping is allowed inside the forest reserve.

A private electric fence has also been built around this area ,and Withanage queried whether it is possible to put up an electric fence inside a park.