Several key decisions including initiating sand distribution within one month through a new mechanism from Kilinochchi and reducing sand prices by half were made at the Kilinochchi District Sand and Gravel Distribution Meeting.
This meeting was held today morning – on Friday, 10 April 2026, at the Kilinochchi District Secretariat under the Chairmanship of District Secretary S. Muralitharan, with the special participation of Hon. Governor of the Northern Province N. Vethanayahan and S. Kapilan, Provincial Coordinator of the Clean Sri Lanka Task Force and representative of the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Hon. R. Chandrasekhar.
At the outset, the Hon. Governor noted that while illegal sand mining has increased, the price of sand in the Jaffna District has also risen sharply. Therefore, there is a significant responsibility to regulate the sand supply chain. He emphasized that the primary reason people elected the current government led by His Excellency the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was to eliminate corruption. If a solution to the sand distribution issue cannot be found under this government, it may not be possible under any other circumstances.
He further pointed out that district-level meetings such as this have been organized under the leadership of District Secretaries in line with decisions taken during a visit by the Chairman of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, Saman Jayasinghe, to the Governor’s Office on March 10, 2026. No actions should be undertaken without the approval or knowledge of the district committee. It was also decided at the provincial-level meeting to prioritize local authorities in identifying sand sources, extracting, and distributing sand to the public, and actions will proceed accordingly.
Following this, the District Secretary provided a detailed explanation of the measures taken so far regarding sand distribution, and several key decisions were made:
It was decided to expedite the distribution of the remaining sand obtained through the Kalmaadu tank rehabilitation and previously distributed via the Karachchi Pradeshiya Sabha.
Due to continuous rains and flooding, the accumulation of sand deposits in river areas was discussed, with plans to excavate and store them at suitable locations. The Chairman of the Karachchi Pradeshiya Sabha highlighted that while sand is excavated during the day by contractors, illegal mining occurs at night in the same locations. The police agreed to provide necessary security to these areas.
To prevent delays by contractors who have obtained excavation contracts through local authorities, it was decided that relevant departments will conduct field inspections, estimate sand quantities, and set deadlines for excavation. Accordingly, field studies will be conducted in the Iranamadu spillway river area, Akkarayan River, and Kallaru areas.
As the local authority indicated its inability to carry out sand extraction from the Akkarayan River sandbanks, discussions were held on assigning the task to a suitable public institution.
Instructions were given to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau to expedite permits for immediate sand distribution from the Puthukadu area in the Pachchilaipalli Divisional Secretariat Division. Additionally, since contracts have already been awarded to extract washed sand using machinery from Kariyalai Nagapaduvan Tank, Pandiveddikulam, Kudamurutti Tank, Iranamadu Tank, and Kalmadu Tank, it was decided to accelerate field inspections for the remaining approvals.
The district committee will determine the final price of sand both excavated and washed taking into account all costs including extraction and transportation. Initially, sand will be distributed through lorry owners’ associations via local authorities, and as a pilot initiative, sand will also be sold in small quantities from local authority premises.
It is estimated that at least 20,000 cubic units of sand can be obtained from the Kilinochchi District. By continuously distributing this through a proper mechanism, it is expected to significantly reduce sand prices and control illegal mining.
S. Kapilan, Provincial Coordinator of the Clean Sri Lanka Task Force, stated that the government will strictly regulate illegal sand distribution activities. In the future, sand permits and distribution are expected to be digitized and implemented using QR codes. There is no longer a need to continue permits previously issued to individuals. Priority will be given to local authorities, and only if they fail or engage in malpractice will the district committee consider issuing permits to individuals.
The Senior Superintendent of Police of the Kilinochchi Division assured full security and cooperation for the implementation of this new mechanism.
The meeting was attended by the Hon. Governor of Northern Province, District Secretary of Kilinochchi District, Provincial Coordinator of the Clean Sri Lanka Task Force, Divisional Secretaries, Assistant Commissioner of Local Government of Northern Province, Chairmen of Pradeshiya Sabhas, irrigation engineers, secretaries of Pradeshiya Sabhas, regional engineer of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, representative of the Forest Department, Senior Superintendent of Police, Officer-in-Charge of Kilinochchi Police Station, and representatives of the Central Environmental Authority.
