Govt. to appoint ex-military officer to supervise use of explosives

By Sandun A. Jayasekera 

Concerned on the disappearance of explosives in a quarry in Mawanella, the government has decided to appoint a retired High-Rank Army officer to supervise the use of explosives issued on permits to quarries and for other peaceful work. 

Following the issuance of permits by the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) for quarries and for other non-controversial business purposes, a report will be submitted to the Ministry of Defence to obtain the explosives. 

Explosives are being issued according to the amount of rock that can be broken per day and with the disappearance of the explosives in a quarry in Mawanella, attention has been focused on whether they were given to any other outside party for any subversive activities.

 
Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said steps would be taken to appoint a high ranking retired senior Army officer to oversee illegal activities related to quarries if any as well as to monitor the explosions using explosives to ascertain whether they are harmful to the environment, the buildings, houses, ground and the people around the quarries to ensure explosions are carried out with the least risk possible to the environment. 
The officer will be appointed by the GSMB. 

Minister Amaraweera expressed these views to the media last morning (30) at the launch of several eco-friendly programmes with Atlas Company, one of the leading stationery manufacturers in the country. 

He symbolically handed over school bags to commence a programme of providing school equipment kits to school children in selected districts. 

The Ministry of Environment has jointly initiated a programme to recycle empty carbon pens in schools and at government institutions jointly by Atlas and INSEE Cement and has introduced empty carbon pens and discarded toothbrush containers in all schools islandwide.