The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has granted permission to remove sand and sand-mixed silt deposited in paddy fields severely damaged by floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau stated.
The approval applies to affected paddy fields in the following districts: Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Ampara, Badulla, Batticaloa, Matale, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Anuradhapura, and Kurunegala.
The removed material may be transported using light transport methods to farmlands, the landowner’s property, or other authorized lands, enabling the fields to be restored for agricultural activities.
Additionally, Regional Irrigation Engineers have been instructed to grant permission for sand and silt removal from other agricultural lands not under the CEA’s jurisdiction.
The Bureau emphasized that if these sites are later used for commercial purposes, proper permission must be obtained from the relevant authority.
