The Northern Provincial Council has said it will be lodging a formal protest with the Environment Ministry against the government's approval of a limestone quarrying project in Kilinochchi, reports the Sunday Times.
“Our Chief Minister [CV Wigneswaran] will be taking it up with the central government and at the district level as even the local officials had not been consulted about the environmental impact of the project,” said the NPC's Environment Minister Ponnuthurai Ayngaranesan.
The Geological Survery and Mines Bureau granted permission to a private cement company to carry out the work over land spanning more than 4000 acres.
According to the Sunday Times at least 2000 acres have already been demarcated with mining scheduled to begin imminently. However officials from the National Buildings Research Organisation reportedly faced resistance from local residents when they visited the area on Thursday in order to carry out soil tests.
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