FARMERS COMPELLED TO ABANDON PADDY FIELDS

Farmers in the Ratnapura District are perturbed by the government’s decision to allow the use of heavy duty machinery and equipment including backhoes in gem mining that caused extensive environmental damage and devastating vast tracks of paddy fields.

They pointed out that paddy fields had been covered with mounds of earth and sand dug up from gem mines and that they were compelled to abandon a vast tracts of paddy fields due to the use of heavy duty machinery and equipment. Paddy cultivators said the government that considered their continual representations in this regard banned the use of backhoes in gem mines under the agricultural development programme.

Representatives of farmer organizations said the gem miners had been required to make a refundable security deposit of Rs.250,000, restore the gem pits to prevent any possible environmental damage. However , the security deposits of several gem miners were forfeited and the money handed over to the farmer organizations to restore the affected paddy fields. They pointed out while step was being taken to boost paddy cultivation in the district, the government had permitted the use of backhoes in gem mines without least concerned about the damage caused to the paddy fields.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Agrarian Development Department said he was not aware of revoking the ban on the use of backhoes but the National Gem and Jewellery Authority had the power to do so under the Agrarian Development Commissioner’s circular No. 21/2018. He said the circular instructions provided for gem mining on 20 perch land through traditional methods or with machinery and equipment.

The gem miners had been required to make a refundable security deposit of Rs.250,000, restore the gem pits to prevent any possible environmental damage