Mine clearing in north 96% complete

Friday, 4 April 2014 00:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ninety-six percent of the Confirmed Hazardous areas have been cleared of mines, according to the National Mine Action Centre, which was established in the Economic Development Ministry, after defeating terrorism. The remaining Confirmed Hazard Areas (CHAs) are only 82 square kilometres as at 15 March 2014. Most of these areas are covered with shrubs and jungle. The massive pace of demining has helped the Government to resettle within a three-year period all persons the conflict displaced. The Army said that demining activities have been completed in all habitable places and clearance activities are limited to forest areas. The Mine Action Centre’s program still continues with the support of UNDP, UNICEF, the donor community, the Sri Lanka Army’s Engineering Brigade and national and international de-mining organisations, and are effective in its operation to clear the hazardous areas of land mines, booby traps and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) the LTTE had laid during the course of the terrorist activities. Since the gravity of the problem has gradually been reduced, some of the demining organisations such as Sarvatra, Horizan and MMIPE have already moved out since their jobs have been completed. The remaining organisations are still continuing the tasks assigned to them. After they complete their operations the Army Engineering Brigade, which has the biggest resources pool comprising manual, mechanical and mine detection techniques with Mine Detecting Dogs (MDD), will take over the responsibility in case the need for more mine clearing arises. In June 2009, a month after the defeat of LTTE terrorism the Government with the support of donor communities such as, Australia, Japan, China, India, EU, USA, etc, UNDP, UNICEF, national and international mine action operators implemented a comprehensive and rapid de-mining program to clear the affected areas estimated to be 2,064 square kilometres. So far 1,982 square kilometres have been cleared.