Siam City Cement (Lanka) takes action against encroaching, deforesting of leased quarry land

Siam City Cement aims to rehabilitate the areas with 19,000 plants

In an emergency meeting presided by the Minister of Forest Conservation C. B. Rathnayake, an urgent course of action was agreed upon by all stakeholders involved to immediately address an incident of illegal encroachment and forest clearing in a long-term leased land belonging to the Sri Lanka Cement Corporation in Puttalam.

The 4,450 acres of land in Aruwakkalu owned by Sri Lanka Cement Corporation is leased by Siam City Cement (Lanka) Ltd. (SCCL), Sri Lanka’s leading and only 100% local manufacturer of cement, for the extraction of limestone raw materials necessary for cement production at its fully integrated cement plant. 

SCCL operates its Aruwakkalu quarry in accordance with the operational licenses issued by the Geological Survey & Mines Bureau (GSMB), Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and Provincial Environmental Act (PEA) of Sri Lanka. 

Having recognised the importance of biodiversity during the limestone mining extraction process carried out at the Aruwakkalu quarry, SCCL rehabilitates the quarry by refilling, landscaping and re-planting over 6,000 plants annually at the excavated mine pits. 

Due to the lack of physical demarcations of the boundaries, the untouched and un-mined land area located approximately four kilometres away from the quarry operational area has been encroached by surrounding village communities over the last two decades. Although the matter was raised several times with relevant authorities, the encroachment of the land continued.

The most recent land encroachment that occurred in early September this year resulted in the illegal clearing of approximately 29 acres of forest land in an isolated area located to the south eastern boundary of the land. 

Subsequent to careful investigation and formulation of proper mining plans, this area was identified by the company as a non-mining area with the forest conserved over the years. A formal complaint was filed by SCCL at the Wanathawilluwa Police on 7 September requesting an investigation of the illegal forest clearing by the perpetrators. 

At the aforesaid  meeting held on 14 September at the Wanathavilluwa Police Station presided by Minister C.B. Rathnayake accompanied by the Secretary to the Minister of Forest Conservation and Wildlife, the Divisional Secretary, Director General Forest Conservation, Director General Wildlife, Director General Central Environmental Authority, Deputy Inspector General of Police Puttalam, Senior Superintendent of Police, Puttalam, the Officer in Charge, Wanathawilluwa, Chairman Pradeshiya Sabha, Chairman, Cement Corporation and the Chairman of SCCL, the officials agreed upon an urgent course of action to address the incident of illegal encroachment and forest clearing in Aruwakkalu. 

Following the meeting, SCCL, under the guidance of the Minister, agreed to take immediate action to prevent the reoccurrence of similar incidents in the future and to rehabilitate the affected area. SCCL has since commenced such rehabilitation of the deforested land and bids to plant 19,000 plants in the affected area with regular transparent reporting to all stakeholders on the progress of all activities. 

The company also commenced a survey of the land on 15 September, clearly marking the boundary in the affected area and increasing the security measures in terms of, patrolling of the area during daytime with security guards on motorbikes, and deploying drones for closer surveillance. Signboards will also be displayed around the property depicting the ownership with warnings to trespassers. 

With an advancing cement manufacturing operation in Puttalam over the past few decades, SCCL has nurtured strong synergies with the surrounding communities through employment, empowerment, community development and uncountable social projects that have ensured Puttalam’s advancement alongside the company. 

SCCL has also demonstrated a strong commitment to biodiversity management and conservation especially at its quarry sites in concurrent rehabilitation of active quarry site. The company pledges to continue its quarry restoration projects and annual ecological monitoring of restored mines while creating more awareness and educating its communities of the significance of protecting Sri Lanka’s ecosystem.