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by Shanika Sriyananda

Wrapped in shock, fear and sorrow, the villagers in Bingiriya moan the loss of a valuable life. 'Ape Sirta niwan sepa lebewa' (May our master attain supreme bliss of Nirvana) is written on big white banners along the Bingiriya main road, and the whole area is decorated with white flags.

Being a humble teacher who taught Physics at the Bingiriya Maha Vidyalaya and the head of the Computer Unit, fifty-six-years-old R. M. Saranapala had dreamt of the day when his daughter and son, who have already entered the Peradeniya and Sri Jayawardenapura Medical Faculties - will take their Hyppocratic oaths.

On his way home after conducting a private tuition class, his innocent expectations and dreams were shattered by an unfaithful 'tipper' driver, who drove a heavy vehicle with an illegally mined sand load at a very high speed. 'Saranapala Sir' who was travelling on his motorbike on the left side of the road, was knocked down by the driver, who was not permitted to transport sand on Sundays.

While he was struggling for his life, the culprit had disappeared with the sand load. Saranapala, who died on the same day, became the 10th victim, who succumbed to death in the hands of racketeers transporting illegally mined sand from the Daduru Oya, during the past few months.

While the residents can clearly identify the killer, 'some other' person has been produced as the driver of the tipper to the Courts by the 'mudalali'.

Not only safe travelling on the roads, but also the peaceful lives of the many people living in the villages surrounding the Daduru Oya have now become a thing of the past. The majority, who depend on agriculture - cultivating paddy, green leaves and banana- have already abandoned their lands due to high salinity in ground water, or difficulty in watering the plants with salty water drawn from the wells.

Destruction

Illegal sand mining which goes on unabatedly has destroyed every thing in these villages, while abusing the ancient Daduru Oya, which supplied clean drinking water to people and helped them earn their livelihood.

The villages - Sithamadama, Jayabima, Manuwangama West, Weerakamandaluwe, Manuwangama East, Mukkandaluwe, Naruyagama, Weherakele, Murakele and Elivitiya - within the 12 kilometre stretch along the Daduru Oya, which is being mined to its rock bottom, are in danger of salination and soil erosion, which has already eaten a huge portion of the river beds.

R. Sriyanthi Sridevi, living just below the main bridge over Daduru oya at Arachchikattuwe, recalls her childhood, where they played on the valley on the bank of the Oya, 30 years ago. Today, there are no places to call a 'valley' or a 'bank'. Just the oya, which has eroded upto the newly developed gravel road to their neighbourhood.

"The narrow oya has now been widened by over 300 feet. We know our houses will go under the water soon", says Sridevi, who does not have any other land to build a house. She has to walk miles, in search of drinking water, as the water in her well is salty. Almost all the wells along the Oya have been abandoned, due to salination.

According to Sridevi, even during daylight, sand mining goes on, and many miners join the illegal activity at night which goes on until mid-night. There's no strong sand foundations around the huge pillars of the bridge, which opened in 1977, and is now in danger, and there is no sand around the pillars to mine.

"Nikaweratiya bridge is no longer stable to use, due to sand mining, and similarly this bridge will become unstable if the traders are allowed to mine at this rate", Secretary of the Mihisara Environmental Foundation Bangadeniya (MEFB) M. J. Dias says.

Many villagers, who have been directly affected mentally and financially, spoke to the media last week, at a field trip organised by the Centre for Environmental Justice.

Some, who are really powerless or are in fear of attacks by thugs, fear to come out with their grievances, and say they prefer to suffer silently. But, it is happy to note that the majority of the villagers are now up in arms against thugs cum 'mudalalis', and formed several organisations and united under one umbrella to protect the Daduru Oya.

The villagers say that the miners do not possess permits and they solely operate with political power, which instructed the police 'not to disturb'. The MEFB has complained to each and every high ranking officer in all responsible authorities in the area, according to Seneviratne.

But still 'these top officials from the District Secretary to Pradeshiya Sabha members, from the top brass of the Chilaw Police to the Police Constable, who witness the grave destruction daily, are 'deaf and blind'.

Illegal practice

"We even wrote to the then President and relevant Ministers including the Minister of Environment, about the illegal practice. But did not receive answers", adds Seneviratne, saying that the 'gotukola gammanaya' (a village that grows green leaves), which was watered mainly with clean water from the Oya, has already been destroyed due to water scarcity and watering with salty river water. Banana plantations are also facing similar threats, and farmers who depend solely on these two cultivations suffer financially.

He says that they do not have faith in the officers attached to the Chilaw Police Station, who have strong links with the traders. "When we complain to the Police they immediately pass the message to the miners. So, we are helpless and compelled to suffer silently", says Seneviratne, adding that police officers who truly act to bring the illegal miners before the law, do not have 'long-life' at the Station, and are transfered immediately.

While the newly appointed Public Relations Officer of the Chilaw Police who talks to the media, refuting the allegations levelled against the police officers, says that the Police have taken several steps to prevent illegal sand mining, and they act promptly when there are complaints on illegal sand mining.

But, according to these villagers, the connection between the illegal miners and the 'famous' politicians, police officers and government officers is a prasidda rahasak well-known secret. They complain about the police officers who hire their heavy vehicles to mudalalies, and who are taking bribes from them.

In the absence of a reliable channel at the Chilaw Police Station to lodge their complaints, sometimes they dial 119, the special unit set up at the Police in Colombo.

However, apart from abusing the rich bio-diversity of the Daduru Oya, several social evils have eaten up the somewhat decent lives of these agricultural villages.

Drugs mafia raises its ugly head in these villages, targeting the schoolboys and the sub-cultures brought by mudalalis and their henchmen, who come for sand mining, already have a huge impact on their lives.

With no solution or justice near sight, and in fear of attacks by underworld gangs if they stand up for their rights, these people still have hopes of fearless days for their young children.

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