Quicksand


A pilot project to mine Sri Lanka's seabed off the Western coast for offshore sand to sustain a flagging construction industry, has gone up for Treasury approval.
Spearheaded by the Coast Conservation Department of the Fisheries Ministry, the initial project cost to the tune of US$ 5 mn, is to be funded by the Dutch Government.

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rnOffshore mining or dredging, involves scooping up large quantities of sand off the seabed, at depths of about 15 m, roughly 2 km off the coast, and collecting it in a stockpile, before it is sold.rn

rnldblquote We have already obtained cabinet approval and have submitted the project to the Finance Ministry for evaluation dblquote , says Project Director, Coastal Resources Management Project, A R Amaratunga told Lanka Business Online.rn

rnA stockpile site in Crow Island, Mattakuliya, has already been lined up. An initial 2-mn cubic meters of sand is to be dredged under the project to supply the construction industry, Amaratunga says.


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rnOver exploitation of river san

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