Sand excavation at Nuwara Wewa produces environmental threat

The water level of Nuwara Wewa decreased due to the recent drought, and it was observed that the Tank embankment has been cleared.

The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) is the authority that formally checks and issues permits for such work. Our role is only to make recommendations. Therefore, the Divisional Secretary suggested that a formal investigation should be conducted to identify the culprits

De Silva stated that an investigation is being conducted through the engineer in charge of Nuwara Wewa. This newspaper also contacted Iroshi Vedanda, the Irrigation Engineer in charge of Nuwara Wewa, to inquire into this issue and the progress of the investigation into soil excavation in Nuwara Wewa. She conveyed that a formal investigation is currently underway with the assistance of her technical officers. 

Efforts are currently underway to haphazardly excavate soil from tanks in Anuradhapura to fill the playgrounds owned by the Anuradhapura Municipal Council. Anuradhapura Municipal Commissioer,
Ruwan Wijesinghe, has been accused of destroying tanks to obtain soil without conducting any Environmental assessments. Nuwara Wewa, which belongs to a highly sensitive ecological zone, has recently become a site of unauthorised soil excavation.
The water level of Nuwara Wewa decreased due to the recent drought, and it was observed that the Tank embankment has been cleared. Some individuals have set fire to the tank embankment, causing destruction, while others have occupied the tank bed and commenced construction activities.

Concurrently, the Anuradhapura Municipal Council has initiated soil excavation from Nuwara Wewa to fill the Salgadu Stadium and Harischandra Park. From September 12 to October 8, extensive soil Extraction activities were observed at Nuwara Wewa. 
Nuwara Wewa is a sensitive area, and approximately 20 metres from the spill water level is designated as a wildlife sanctuary. It is the duty of the authorities to investigate and identify those responsible for authorising soil excavation from Nuwara Wewa; claiming it to be a necessity for a government institution.
Nuwara Wewa plays a crucial role in supporting agriculture, fulfilling drinking water requirements, nourishing smaller lakes and catering to the water needs of wildlife. As this area is a sanctuary it allows for frequent wildlife sightings. M. A. Ajith Munasinghe, a Registered Authorized Surveyor and Court Commissioner, spoke of the environmental damage caused by extensive soil excavation at Nuwara Wewa. He noted that presently, a trench of about one acre has been excavated to a depth of four feet, and a road has been constructed to ease soil transportation. The subsoil at the bottom of the trench, where the soil has been extracted, is now exposed. ***Ten loads of soil, carried by five 3-cube dump trucks, are removed daily, totaling approximately 150 cubic metres of soil taken from Nuwara Wewa each day.

Munasinghe added that the relentless excavation activities had taken place from September 15 to October 8; resulting in the removal of about 2500 cubic metres of soil from Nuwara Wewa during this period.
 The Municipal Commissioner of the Anuradhapura Municipal Council has formally requested 150 cubic metres of soil for a government project. However, approximately 1500 cubic metres of soil have already been removed.  Munasinghe said that the surplus soil is being sold to external parties. There are signs advertising that soil is being sold at low prices. These signs are displayed around Nuwara Wewa. Munasinghe urged relevant officials to investigate the possibility of large-scale soil smuggling associated with the excavation activity around Nuwara Wewa.
The Anuradhapura Municipal Council’s current plan involves utilising the soil to fill Salgadu Stadium and Harischandra Park.
Munasinghe warned about the potential threat to the nearby villages of Vijitapura and Mangalagama as both are exposed to the risk of flooding due to the soil filling on both sides of the Malwatu Oya river basin. He said that blocking the water course of Malwatu Oya with soil could impede water flow which could lead to an increased flood risks when Mangalagama experiences heavy rain.
When this newspaper made inquiries from Ruwan Wijesinghe, the Municipal Commissioner of the Anuradhapura Municipal Council, to find out the reasons for the extensive soil excavation from Nuwara Wewa, he provided the following explanation: “We excavated soil from Nuwara Wewa for the development of playgrounds managed by the Anuradhapura Municipal Council. We initiated this project after informing the Divisional Secretary of Nuwaragam Palatha East and notifying the Irrigation Department. Currently, the Public Stadium, Harischandra Stadium and Sinhala Stadium have been completed. The filling of the Harishchandra Stadium does not impact the flood level of Malwatu Oya and there is no flood threat. We require about 1500 cubic metres of soil for these playgrounds. After obtaining permission from the Divisional Secretary of Nuwaragam Palatha East-who also informed the Irrigation Department- we proceeded with the soil excavation from Nuwara Wewa. This is a legitimate government project. A journalist, police, and local politicians have requested soil from us, and we are facing baseless accusations because their requirements were denied. The soil excavation was conducted using the irrigation department’s excavator, and we provided fuel. As a result of this project, about five-acres was added to Nuwara Wewa. We obtained the soil by digging pits running 2-3 feet depth. Our requirement was for 150 cubic metres of soil. The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau has advised paying the state for the excess soil taken beyond this amount. Digging soil in a tank is not prohibited. This is a government project. It does not require environmental reports. There is no need for separate permission to excavate soil in Nuwara Wewa. No law prohibits digging tanks. Tanks are excavated to enhance its water capacity. The section we excavated may have 1500 cubic metres of soil. Environmental assessment reports are not required for these quantities of digging. Specific criteria determine the need for environmental reports. Not all excavation necessitates such reports,” explained Munasinghe.

The Municipal Commissioner said that there is no requirement to seek permission from anyone to excavate or transport soil.
This newspaper sought clarification from the Bureau of Geological Survey and Mines. This scribe also approached Divisional Excavation Engineer Chamila Karunananda. He said, “ The Anuradhapura Municipal Council has not obtained permission from us to excavate soil from Nuwara Wewa. We received complaints about the persistent soil excavation in the tank. Upon inspection, we found that these individuals had not sought permission from us for soil excavation. Transporting soil without our approval is also not permissible. This activity was conducted by the Nuwaragam Palatha East Divisional Secretary and the Irrigation Department. We advised the Municipal Council to carry out the work legally and not unlawfully. Subsequently, they sought permission to extract 150 cubic metres of soil only after realising that the soil had been excavated without our authorization. We conducted an inspection at the location where soil was excavated. We contacted the Irrigation Department and discovered that these activities had taken place without the approval of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB). Even for a government project, our permission is required.
“Permission was sought for 150 cubic metres of soil, but approximately 1550 cubic metres were excavated and extracted, and the state half needs to be paid for that. As that payment was not made, an investigation is underway against the municipal council. We inquired with the Irrigation Department regarding the amount of soil permitted during an excavation. The municipal council was questioned about the quantity of soil moved and the extent of filling carried out. The municipal council claimed that they could not transport the 150 cubic metres of soil they had requested and asked for permission to transport the remaining 75 cubic metre. However, we denied this request. We requested details regarding the initially approved 150 cubic metres, and we measured the excavated pits. Up to September 25, 2023, a total of 1550 cubic metres of soil had been excavated. Measurements were taken to monitor ongoing excavation. In any case, legal action will be pursued against the Municipal Council”. Karunananda confirmed that this information has been communicated to the bureau’s legal department.
When questioned about this matter, Jayantha de Silva, Director-General of the Anuradhapura office of the Irrigation Department, said that both the Municipal Council and the Divisional Secretary of Nuwaragam Palatha East had requested permission to excavate soil from Nuwara Wewa. The following is De Silva’s explanation: “We established the criteria and granted the necessary permission. The Municipal Council was informed about the quantity of soil allowed to be excavated from the land area situated near the lake. Additionally, guidelines were set, specifying that a pit cannot be deeper than two feet, and we emphasised the need to obtain permission from relevant institutions and that environmental reports are mandatory due to the tank being one of sensitive nature. We even provided them with a machine while they supplied the fuel. However, complaints have been received, indicating that the Municipal Council not only disregarded our criteria, but also failed to seek permission from the relevant institutions.”
De Silva stated that an investigation is being conducted through the engineer in charge of Nuwara Wewa. This newspaper also contacted Iroshi Vedanda, the Irrigation Engineer in charge of Nuwara Wewa, to inquire into this issue and the progress of the investigation into soil excavation in Nuwara Wewa. She conveyed that a formal investigation is currently underway with the assistance of her technical officers.
Additionally, this newspaper sought clarification from Sampath Rohana Dharmadasa, the Divisional Secretary of Nuwaragam Palatha East, regarding how permission was granted for soil excavation in Nuwara Wewa.

Dharmadasa said: “The municipal council requested permission to obtain soil for the construction of their playgrounds. In response, I consulted the Irrigation Department, Provincial Irrigation offices, and Agricultural Services Department to fulfill their soil requirements. Subsequently, the Municipal Council was informed and permission was granted to excavate soil from Nuwara Wewa.
“However, I can only authorise permission for 100 cubic metres, exclusively for non-commercial purposes. The municipal Council sought about 600 cubic metres and I advised them to obtain a permit from GSMB (Geological Survey and Mines Bureau) to proceed with the work. The Irrigation Department also provided recommendations and allowed the project to proceed and there were discussions with GSMB resulting in obtaining a permit. Everything is in order. 
“However, the Municipal Council gave a call reporting that pressure was being applied by a group urging them not to proceed with the soil excavation. If there was any mistake, the quantity of soil excavated by the Municipal Council can be determined through an investigation. I instructed the GSMB team to conduct an investigation. From my perspective, the Municipal Council hasn’t engaged in any wrongdoing. A group, including a journalist, seems to have created the problem here. Soil can be excavated from a tank without an environmental report. We were merely assisting a Government project. If the Municipal Council has made an error, legal action should be pursued. Why did the Irrigation Department wait until a 4-foot hole was excavated in the tank? If they had provided machines and had engineers, why didn’t they investigate sooner? The Municipal Council needed the soil and I needed to take care of the city playgrounds. It is the responsibility of the Irrigation Department to ensure proper soil excavation. 
“The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) is the authority that formally checks and issues permits for such work. Our role is only to make recommendations. Therefore, the Divisional Secretary suggested that a formal investigation should be conducted to identify the culprits”.
Nuwara Wewa is situated in a wildlife sanctuary zone according to Assistant Wildlife Director W.M.K.S Chandraratne, who is in charge of the Anuradhapura Zone of the Department of Wildlife and Conservation. This newspaper spoke to him and obtained his views. “Although Nuwara Wewa falls under the control of the Irrigation Department, any development work in that area requires permission from wildlife authorities. However, we were not informed, and no Permission was obtained by us for the purpose of excavating soil in Nuwara Wewa, “ he said. Consequently, Chandraratne said that this matter would be investigated, and further steps be taken upon reaching out to the Central Environment Authority. One of the spokespersons of the Central Environment Authority said that this authority has not issued any environmental permit for soil excavation in Nuwara Wewa. The spokesperson also mentioned that the Anuradhapura Municipal Council has never sought permission for such a purpose.