Elahera second largest gem deposit buried under...

There was much publicity given both in the print and electronic media about the flooding of the Moragahakanda and Kalu Ganga reservoirs. This scheme is identified as the largest irrigation project ever undertaken in Sri Lanka.

Background

The Japanese government provided assistance to carry out a detailed feasibility study on this project and the report titled ‘Resettlement Implementation Plan for Moragahakanda Agriculture Development Project’ was released in July 2010 with an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. Added to this report, a (1) Biodiversity Assessment Report (2) Comprehensive Watershed Protection Management Plan (3) Geological Study Report (4) Agriculture Development Plan (5) Archaeological Impact Assessment Report (6) Resettlement Implementation Plan (7) Social and Environmental Management Plan (8) Social Environmental Monitoring Plan were prepared.

The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB), the leading earth science institution, was not involved and the National Building Research Organisation, which specializes in landslide investigations without much knowledge of the work carried out earlier by dedicated geologists from the Geological Survey Department (present GSMB ), has been ignored.

This project, also identified under the survey of irrigation and hydropower potentials of the Mahaweli Ganga and Adjoining River Basins during the four-year period of 1965-1968 by the UNDP/FAO team with Sri Lankan counterparts, is yet to be completed.

However, the key project in the ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’ policy of the year 2015 was the Morahgahakanda project and hence the government decided to commence work in the year 2007. The proposed reservoir will b constructed across the Aban Ganga at a place called Moragahakanda with water storage capacity of 570 MCM (million cubic meters).

In June 2015, after President Maithripala Sirisena was sown in as the President of Sri Lanka, the Mahaweli Consultancy Bureau prepared a report titled ‘Environment Impact Assessment Report – Modifications to Configuration of Moragahakanda–kalu Ganga Projects-proposed Upper Elahera Canal, Canal From Mannkkattiya Tank to Mahakandarawa Tank and Kaluganga– Moragakanda Link Canal Project’.

I shall focus on 3.1.2 titled ‘Geology’, which is in Annex V1, under Geological Maps.

These maps do not show any gem-bearing areas as mapped by me in 1966, when I was a geologist at the former Geological Survey Department (present GSMB).

In this article I do not want to comment on the Upper Elehara Channel in the initial stretch of 17.5 kms. There are no records as to how many holes were drilled for Standard Penetration Tests. However, the report states “As far as Core Recovery Rock Quality Designations are concerned, the geological situation of the rock appears to be suitable.

However, with my experience of mapping over 6000 square miles in Sri Lanka, including the Elahera one inch to a mile sheet (1:63,650), I do not endorse such assumptions and hope we will not encounter problems as experienced in the Uma Oya project, where the subsidence of limestone cast areas led to houses and property along the tunnel trace sinking.

Elahera gem field within Moragahakanda project

The geological map on the scale of 1:63,650, using the topographical sheets of the Survey Department as the base, in 1966 I identified a promising gem-bearing area along the Amban Ganga and also along the Elahera Pallegama road.

Prior to the commencement of the Mahaweli project in 1978, the State Gem Corporation called for proposals to carry out a large-scale gem mining in areas that are to be submerged by constructing major dams and there were no proposals for the Amban Ganga in the Elehara area. However, most of the prospectors were interested in the Kalu Ganga catchment area at that time.

An interesting research paper published in 1986 in the Gems and Gemology Journal by Mahinda Gunawardena and Mahinda S. Rupasinghe has delved into the history of gemstones in the Elahera area.

“Recent archaeological discoveries have revealed that Elahera was an active gem centre for many centuries. During the regime of King Prakaramabahu, who ruled during the 12 century A.D., even foreigners were allowed to mine in certain parts of the region (Elahera). Recently archaeologists excavated the remains of tools used to work the gem fields and even some engraved stones.”

This same publication reports “In the late 1970s the state body (State Gem Corporation) undertook large-scale gem mining in collaboration with the private sector. The current mining in the Elahera area proceeds along the Elahera-pallegama main road, particularly between the 19 and 24 mile posts and is concentrated in areas of Wallwa, Hattota-amuna, Laggala and Dasgiriya.

The State Gem Corporation has reported that just one of the joint state/private industry projects in this region –the Laggala-pallegama project, earned US $ 725,790 between June 30, 1981 and April 13, 1985.”

Table 1 titled ‘Gemological properties of gem corundum, spinel and garnet from Elahera gem field list out corundum (blue and yellow sapphire) ruby, pink ruby, star sapphire spinel and garnet of gem quality and Table 2 lists our Chrysoberyl (Alexandrite), Cat’s eye, Zircon, tourmaline Konerupine, Sinhalite, Taafenite, Epidote and Sillimanite.

In the final statements in this article, it is stated that “In Sri Lanka, the Elahera gem field is now second only to Ratnapura in the production of gemstones suitable for jewellery. With the total exports of loose gems from Sri Lanka has dropped significantly from their 1980 peak of more than US $ 40 million annually, they appear to have stabilized at between US $ 15 million and US $ 20 million recently.

Although specific production figures are as elusive for this locality, as they are for most others, the authors estimate that Elahera contributes 35 percent of these exports or approximately 15,000 kg of sapphires and 8,500 kg of other stones annually in recent years.”

Conclusions

In this article, I have stressed the gem fields of the Elahera area that will be permanently buried under the Moragahakanda project and would like to pose the question to the experts who carried out the feasibility surveys from the early 1960s and as to why no recommendation was made to give out suitable areas for gem mining before construction of the dams and proposed reservoirs.

I am not certain what areas will be flooded and it is unfortunate that most of the feasibility studies carried out by various groups have not mentioned the gem-bearing areas coming within the Moragahakanda project that should be exploited before the commencement of the civil engineering work.

I am also surprised as to why the GSMB (former Geological Survey Department), which was involved in the EIA in 2015 stated at the beginning, did not notice the authorities about the valuable gem deposits, particularly along the Amban Ganga, which I had demarcated when mapping the area with the late D.B. Pattiarachchi, Director of the Geological Survey Department in 1968.

Again I wish to point out that the present GSMB has not given acknowledgement to the pioneering work done by the geologists of the former department.

I would also like to warn the technical and administrative officers that rushing into projects to satisfy politicians could cause serious issues to the development of the country. It is also surprising the Mahaweli Development, State Gem Corporation and State Gem and Research Institute as well as the GSMB involved in the Moragahakanda project are within the same ministry, whose head is the president and this clearly indicate the lack of coordination within and between these institutions.