TIRED RIVERS RUN DEEP

Tharuka Dissanaike underscores the urgent need to arrest irresponsible sand mining in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka needs an alternative to river sand – fast! Despite increased awareness regarding river-sand mining and the formulation of a national policy for sand, very little real action has been taken to overcome the imminent shortage of sand and curb rampant illegal mining. This lack of action was the main topic of discussion among engineers, experts and construction-industry representatives gathered at the recent National Consultation On River Sand Mining organised by Lanka Jalani.

The construction industry in this country requires around seven million cubic metres of sand every year. Despite bans, supreme-court decisions, permit restrictions and the demands of irate environmentalists, the bulk of this sand requirement is dredged out of already exhausted rivers. The news gets worse: due to the huge increase in construction activity after the tsunami, sand requirement is estimated to have more than doubled – to 17 million cubic metres – in 2006. Can our rivers possibly supply this? If not, are we looking at a situation of multiple crises – environmental destruction, loss of livelihood and a decrease in construction activity? Already, the price of construction has more than doubled due to the high price of sand.

Experts believe that our rivers cannot continue to supply sand. Due to excessive dredging and sand mining, many rivers and their environs are facing grave threats: collapse of river banks, deepening water tables, a drying up of local water supply and the destruction of riverine ecosystems. In heavily mined rivers like the Maha Oya and Deduru Oya, even bridges are on the verge of collapse due to illegal mining along the banks. Even though mechanised mining of sand is banned, there is evidence that such activity takes place under cover of darkness.

It is an open secret that in areas where sand mining is most rampant, the police are often very much hand-in-glove with the perpetrators. Therefore, implementation of the law is inefficient. Added to this is the extent of political interference.

Sand extraction is a key employment provider in these areas and any legal action could be stemmed, as many politicians prevail on the police in the area not to act against miners.

Even if most sand mining takes place under a surreptitious cloak of illegality, it feeds a perfectly legal and sand-hungry construction industry. The price of a cubic metre of sand has increased some 400 per cent in the last three to five years.

Assessing this problem, the government came up with a bright solution soon after the tsunami. It invited construction companies to buy the dredged and piled up sea sand that was to be used for the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway.

However, much of that sand still remains piled up at its original location. The demand has been curiously sluggish and river mining continues unabated.

The government set up a committee to look at alternatives and decided that dredging sea sand was the best way forward. That was in 2003. Up to date, no MOU has been signed or possible ventures identified to dredge sea sand for domestic-construction purposes.

Meanwhile, the faculties of engineering at the Moratuwa and Peradeniya Universities have been busy experimenting with quarry-rock alternatives.

Dr. Athula Senarathne from the University Of Peradeniya presented a recent study at the consultation on the use of crushed rock for concrete and cement-based construction. He said they that have even assessed the extent of the quartz-sand resource in different parts of the country and believe that it can easily meet the requirement of the construction industry. The sand is manufactured through a mechanical process, out of quartz rock, which is commonly found in many parts of the country. Large deposits of this rock are found in Galaha, Galigomuwa, Kirindiwela and Bibile. But the process of manufacture that has been tried and tested by the university has not yet entered the mainstream. And despite Senarathne's assurance that the strength of manufactured sand is better in concrete than river sand, the construction industry is still wary of it.

Another possible alternative, which is being exploited today in the Jaffna Peninsula, is dune sand. Large deposits of dune sand are available in Vadamaarachchi, Komari, Pooneryn and Mannar; and these are used for the local construction industry, which is very small. This little-tapped resource cannot be exploited fully until the volatile security situation abates in the north and the east.

While committees mull over alternatives and spew out more recommendations, sand mining continues and depleted rivers are not allowed to replenish. Also, once-fertile lands are rendered dry and useless because of changes in the water table caused by deepened riverbeds. Although environmentalists won their round in court, in reality, the sand miner has prevailed. After all, one of the biggest problems in arresting river-sand mining is the lack of suitable alternative employment for the people who earn a livelihood form it.
