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| Sunday, 18 January 2004 |
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New lands under auction soon to revamp gem industry by Elmo Leonard Areas hitherto unknown for gemstones in Balangoda, Wellawaya in the Moneragala district and around Matara, will soon be mined, following scientific surveys carried out by the National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA). New gem lands in plantation areas, mainly around river beds in Bogawantalawa and Hatton, will also soon come under auction, NGJA, chairman, Tennekone Rusiripala, said. In a bid to maximise the country's gem lands and revamp dwindling gem supplies, river bed mining, with clearance from the organisations concerned with the environment, has been obtained for the first time. As a first step, six chains of river beds along the Wey Ganga in the Ratnapura district was auctioned recently, at a record price of Rs 14.5 million. "NGJA supervises the mining and, following completion, ensures that there would be no environmental hazards, including damage to the river banks," Rusiripala said. More auctions of river beds along the Denawaka Ganga in the Pelmadulla area and Hangamuwa and Nirella rivers, also in the Ratnapura district, will take place soon. The new move of legalising river bed mining is an attempt to curb illegal river bed and river bank mining, prevalent in rural areas, which takes place hastily and ends up in high environmental damage. NGJA is in the process of conducting scientific surveys to identify new gem lands under the Ministry of Industrial Development. Meanwhile, Beruwela, the home of some of the more affluent Muslim gem merchants in the country, will be developed into a gem city during this year. It will have a gem museum, gem laboratory, lapidaries, buyer-seller meeting place, sales outlets and other gem attractions for tourists. Beruwela will be the second gem city, following Ratnapura, the centre of gem mining in Sri Lanka, which is being developed on similar lines by NGJA, Rusiripala said. |
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