About 90 per cent of Sri Lanka’s landmine-contaminated land has now been cleared, and the country expects to be entirely mine-free within four years, the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Water Supply says.
The figures were released after actor Rosamund Pike, an international ambassador for mine clearance, met Minister Dr. Susil Ranasinghe at the ministry in Battaramulla on Monday.
Pike asked about the progress of the programme and described it as a great success, praising work she said was being carried out in line with international standards.
What is left
The remaining contamination covers 20.8 square kilometres, which the ministry described as highly complex and difficult ground — the hardest terrain having been left until last.
The ministry said 500 specially trained Sri Lanka Army personnel are to be deployed on clearance work, with the Army aiming to clear 1.5 square kilometres a year on top of the work done by other operators. The plan to expand the Army’s demining strength to 500 was set out at talks between the minister and the Army Commander earlier this month.
Funding for the programme has been doubled compared with the previous year, the ministry said.
Framed as more than clearance
The ministry described demining as a national effort that goes beyond removing ordnance, saying it underpins development in the North and East, supports tourism and helps build trust and reconciliation between Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities.
Pike is in the country as an ambassador for the Mines Advisory Group. Her visit marked the clearance of one million landmines over 17 years, a milestone announced last week alongside figures showing annual casualties have fallen from roughly 250 a year to three in 2024. Earlier in the visit she toured minefields in the Mannar and Mullaitivu districts.
Sources: Ada Derana; Daily Mirror.
