Bill to protect mineral resources

By Harshini PERERA

A new Bill with severe penalties and jail terms to prevent the destruction and harm to the environment mainly by the unlimited sand mining in river beds and waterways will be introduced to Parliament within the next two months.

The draft Bill has already been prepared Director Department of Geological Survey and Mines Bureau Dr. O. K. Dissanayake told Sunday Observer yesterday.

The Bill will include, regulations to protect mineral resources and will have teeth to punish offenders who damage and destroy the environment and habitat of flora and fauna with penalties like one million rupee fines and jail terms. The present law was not sufficient to prevent elements that cause damage by sand mining and unauthorized digging up of minerals. But the new law stipulates that offenders who are nabbed for the second time would be imposed double the fine/jail term, Dr. Dassanayake said.

The environmental damage done to some rivers like Kelani had resulted in the river becoming deeper in the area close to the estuary and the inflow of sea water into the lower reaches of the river causing damage to the environment and creating problems in the supply of drinking water to communities.