Forest conservation authorities have initiated legal action over illegal sand mining and soil transportation in the Paranthan Proposed Reserve, in the Nedunkerny Divisional Secretariat Division of Vavuniya District, Daily Mirror reported on Wednesday.
The action followed a complaint received through the “1995 Vana Surakuma” forest protection hotline, which prompted forest conservation officers to inspect the area.
What the inspection found
The special inspection was carried out on August 14 and focused on the Kanagarayankulam Aru, a waterway inside the Paranthan Proposed Reserve that falls under the Puthur Forest Field Assistant Division of the Puliyankulam Beat in the Nedunkerny Range.
Residents told officials during the inspection that soil excavated from an agricultural well in a paddy field adjoining the reserve had been transported away by tractor — a route that allows material taken from near protected land to be moved under the appearance of ordinary farm work.
Forest officers had also recently arrested a person allegedly caught illegally dredging sand near a bridge on the road crossing the river. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the suspect, with the incident recorded as a forest offence under Case No. 46/2026.
A blanket suspension follows
Illegal sand mining in the area had already been raised at a special awareness workshop held on August 11 on the Code of Conduct for Mineral Mining introduced by the Presidential Task Force.
Following those discussions, the Vavuniya District Secretary instructed the Nedunkerny Divisional Secretary to suspend all sand mining activity in the area immediately, until measures are in place to adequately protect the ecosystem. That order goes beyond the single prosecution: it halts permitted extraction as well as unlicensed work, pending safeguards.
The “1995 Vana Surakuma” hotline operates around the clock to receive information on environmental destruction, forest clearing and unauthorised mining. The Ministry of Environment, its affiliated institutions, the Tri-Forces and the Police continue to act on public information against activities threatening forests and ecosystems.
Daily Mirror did not report the identity of the arrested person, the volume of sand involved, the court in which Case No. 46/2026 will be heard, or how long the suspension is expected to last. The case is separate from the sand-mining enforcement actions reported this year in Mannar.
