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Petition soon to SC over Mannar titanium mining

23 Sep 2022

BY Mirudhula Thambiah   The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) will file a public interest litigation (PIL) petition in the Supreme Court (SC) in early October, against titanium exploration and mining in the Mannar District.  Since the explorations have concluded now, the mining activities will commence in December. The relevant companies have concluded the exploration for titanium near the Mannar bridge, in Pesalai and in the Talaimannar areas in the Mannar District. The Mannar Citizens’ Committee has meanwhile requested, through a Right to Information (RTI) application, for details from the relevant Government authorities, but the details are yet to be received. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (22), CEJ Senior Advisor Hemantha Withanage said that a draft of a PIL is being prepared and that the petition will be filed in court by next month.  “We have almost begun to draft the petition. Within the next two weeks, it would be ready,” he said. He also noted that members of the Mannar Citizens’ Committee including Catholic priest A. Gnanapragasam, and certain religious leaders representing the Muslim community in Mannar met with the representatives of the CEJ on Wednesday (21) to discuss the impact of titanium mining in Mannar. “During the past years, companies have carried out titanium exploration in the heart of Mannar. It is almost completed and they have moved onto other areas like Madu,” he added. He also confirmed that according to the villagers, the mining companies would begin their mining activities in December. But, there is no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted, and no other public information available in this regard, he noted. “According to our knowledge, the companies do not have the mining licence yet,” he said.  Meanwhile, Mannar Women’s Development Federation Co-Founder Shreen Abdul Saroor told The Morning yesterday that soil sample testing for titanium mining has occurred for almost five years without the knowledge of the residents and that around 4,800 auger holes have been dug so far, some to a depth of 12 metres, below the legal water table, and that these holes are often dug at night, without the permission of the private landowners. “Soil sample exploration has happened in many coastal areas within Mannar Island,” she added.  She pointed out that it will instantly impact 9,000 fishing families that live in the areas where soil samples have been collected.  Saroor said that while many complaints were made to Government officials and elected members, those have not yielded any results.  “Some of the concerned citizens who protested and created awareness among the people are threatened and warned of repercussions by local subcontractors of these companies,” she added.  She also noted that a RTI application has been filed in this regard and that the villagers are awaiting details.  


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