Sand mining: A serious threat

COLOMBO (News 1st) - A sand mining operation has been carried out in Wattala, Pamunugama at the Sagarasirigama fishing port. The fishermen of Bopitiya who had departed for a pilgrimage at Madhu church on the 15th and 16th had arrived back at their village and found a number of sand pits obstructing the fisheries harbour. A villager noted that the sand has been mined in a manner that rocks would protrude and obstruct boats being taken to sea. Another villager noted that the miners had extracted around 150-200 sand cubes. His personal sources had reported that a Pradeshiya Sabha Minister was involved in this sand mining operation. A villager at the scene implored that the shore to be rebuilt as the current condition would interrupt their livelihood. Meanwhile, Police special task force arrested three women including five other suspects who obstructed the duties of the officers assigned to Jaffna camp. Police stated that the suspects attempted to free the arrestees who were involved in sand mining in Ariyapalu last evening(March 16). Shouldn't it be equally important to take serious actions against illegal sand miners as much as the drug traffickers?

---