• The company had extracted stones from the quarry exceeding the area demarcated by the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau 

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama  

The Government has suspended the licence of a quarry site at Mirigama, operated by a leading company based in Rajagiriya to supply gravel for the Central Expressway Project, the Environment Ministry said.  The quarry site at Bulanekanda Idama was situated at the Kithalawalana village, which belonged to the Delwala Grama Niladhari area in Mirigama.  

When the Daily Mirror contacted the Secretary of Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe, he said the quarry operation took place two years ago and the company had extracted stones from the quarry exceeding the area demarcated by the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB).  

The license for the quarry site was issued by the GSMB and subjected to the inspection of the Central Environmental Authority (CEA).  

The GSMB had demarcated and permitted a certain area for the purpose of mining.   
However, he said that the company had breached the license by encroaching into two additional lots, other than the area demarcated by the GSMB.  

The case was investigated by Ministry Secretary Dr. Jasinghe, through the powers vested on him by the GSMB Act.  

“The GSMB had not conducted any follow-ups or inspections during the extraction of the site,” he said.  
“An appeal hearing was conducted over the incident and, later, it was found that the company had exceeded the limit. The company has mined stones worth Rs.36 million and Rs. 750,000 from the additional areas, which has deprived the government of a considerable amount of revenue.   He said he made the decision after conducting another survey in the area and after assessing the loss to the Government.  

“During the investigations, the license of the quarry site was suspended by the GSMB and the company has been ordered to pay the loss,” he said    In addition the company had been advised that they could consider re-applying for the license only after finalizing the damage caused to the environment due to the additional mining.