95 P.C MINE FREE - A CIVILIAN BOUNTY

http://www.dailynews.lk/2013/04/30/news01.asp

* Army plays leading role in demining process

* Massive pace of demining helps govt resettle displaced

Ninety five percent of the Confirmed Hazardous Area has been cleared of mines and an area of 96 kilometres remains to be cleared at the end of March 2013, a National Mine Action Centre source said yesterday. A total of 1,968,369,553 square kilometres have been completely cleared of mines in the North, Eastern and North Central Provinces during the last four years, the source said.

The Army has been playing a leading role in the demining process in the Northern and Eastern areas. The Army Engineering Brigade cleared 77,368 square kilometres of battle area and mine fields during the past three months, he said.

A total area of 600,860 square kilometres have also been cleared of mines by the Army during 2012, the source said.

"The massive pace of demining helped the government resettle persons displaced by the conflict within a three-year period," he said. The Mine Action Centre's programme still continues with the support of the UNDP, UNICEF, donor community, the Sri Lanka Army's Engineering Brigade and national and international de-mining organisations to clear the hazardous area of landmines, anti-personnel mines, booby traps and unexploded ordinance, the LTTE laid during the war, the source said.

He said since the gravity of the problem has gradually been scaled down, some demining organisations such as Sarvatra, Horizon and MMIPE have left.

"The remaining organisations are continuing the tasks assigned to them. After they complete their operations, the Army Engineering Brigade, which has the biggest resources pool comprising manual, mechanical mine detection techniques and mine detecting dogs will take over the responsibility in case the need for more mine clearing arises," the source said.

In June 2009, a month after the defeat of LTTE terrorism, the government with the support of donor communities such as, Australia, Japan, China, India, EU, USA, etc, UNDP, UNICEF, national and international mine action operators implemented a comprehensive and rapid de-mining programme to clear the affected areas estimated to be 2,064 square kilometres.