Australian mining company halts mineral explorations in Mannar
Australian mining company, Titanium Sands Ltd, currently carrying out extensive Ilmenite sand mining with a licence obtained in an allegedly irregular way on Mannar Island has decided to halt operations, industry officials said.
Sri Lanka’s Mines and Minerals Act has no provisions to issue licences for companies not registered in the country for the exploration or mining of minerals.
The licence for mineral exploration in Mannar Island has changed hands with several local companies and ultimately it was bought by the Australian company but without following the due process, Geological and Mines Bureau records revealed.
Exploration licences for Mannar Island were issued by the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau to five local companies and these companies have been taken over by the Australian company making it as subsidiaries, official documents revealed.
Sri Lankan representative of Titanium Sands Ltd., S. Chaliya has said that their mineral exploration is being carried out legally with permits given by all local agencies including environmental authority for mineral exploration in the Mannar Island.
However the company management has decided to stop their operations and removed all machinery heeding to protests and demands of residents and environmentalists, he added.
Members of the area’s Citizens Committee, activists of environment, human rights, fisheries and village societies have demanded the company officials to halt their mining activities and leave the area as soon as possible without further damaging the environment.
During explorations at the relevant site in Mannar Island, the Australian company has discovered deposits of 265 tones of minerals and rocks including Ilmonite, Rutile, Garnet and Zircon that can be used to produce air planes, paint and several other valuable products.
It has been revealed at the Citizens committee meeting, that the company has dug over 4,000 mineral exploration drill holes with a depth of 12 metres each at the site without the permission of private land owners in the area.
Titanium Sands Ltd has not given a permit to carry out mining although it has a licence for mineral exploration, a senior official of the Environment Ministry revealed.
Mannar Island is a pristine land and popular area for migratory birds and bird watchers alike, several environmentalists said.
It is also home to a unique ecosystem which would be destroyed if mining permits are granted, they pointed out.
They claimed that around a million birds stop at Mannar Island, off the north-west coast of Sri Lanka, to feed during the winter.
The Vankalai Bird Sanctuary on the southern tip of the island is protected by the government and has been internationally recognised under the Ramsar Convention for its importance to both local and migratory birds.
The immediate result of sand mining will result in salt water intrusion, contaminated drinking water and disruption to the lives of tens of thousands of residents who depend on fishing and other primary industries for their livelihoods.
This was revealed in a statement issued by the Protect Mannar’s Environment, a coalition of concerned citizens of Mannar.
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