The People’s Movement Against the Port City, releasing a statement to the media last week said, the Movement at a meeting on January 22 decided to protest against the continued mining of sand less than 10 km from the shore for the port city project.
The release said that China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is continuing sand mining inspite of the undertaking given the Deputy Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Lasantha Alagiyawanna to look into the matter in October last year
When contacted, Deputy Minister Alagiyawanna said sand mining is not taking place less than 10 km from the shore and that it is a lie.
“Those who claim that sand mining is taking place illegally must inform us in writing or at least verbally. Then we will take action,” the Deputy Minister said. Convenor of the People’s Movement Against the Port City, Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda said the fishermen who launched a fast against the illegal sand mining ceased the fast, following the assurances of the Deputy Minister.
He said the promise by the Deputy Minister was made in the presence of the fisher folk and the Catholic Church authorities and was shown on national television. The website www.marinetracking.com provides 24-hour updates of the locations of the two dredgers, (Jun Yang I and Wang Qing Sha) currently in operation and any person is able to see that dredging is being carried out less than 6-7 km off the coast. “However, the inaction of the ministers in charge of the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry shows the undertaking was a move to hoodwink the fisher folk and the Church authorities,” Fr. Iddamalgoda said. He said, “The position of the People’s Movement against the Port City has been that the land fill is unnecessary, unwarranted and hazardous not only for the livelihood of the fisher folk but also potentially to the whole Western seaboard as claimed by the incumbent Prime Minister when he sought the public’s mandate to cease the whole project.
“The destruction already caused to the Western coast at several places due to sand mining proves beyond doubt that the project is harmful to the environment,” Fr. Iddamalgoda said.