Answering a question on the damage being done to the Ginganga in Galle district, Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said permits for sand mining given by Geological Survey and Mines Bureau had prevented large-scale sand mining using machinery.

River sand was expensive due to stringent measures adopted by the authorities on sand mining causing the price of a cube to go up to anything between 7,000 to 10,000 rupees while the same quantity of sand was earlier available for around 750 rupees, he said in Parliament, last Friday.

He was answering a question from Galle district JVP member Tilakaratne Vithanachchi who asked how many sand mining permits were issued in the Baddegama, Nagoda, Neluwa, Thawalama Divisional Secretariat administration areas in the Galle district.

Fernadopulle said 121 persons were issued with sand mining permits in these four areas.

He also said no environmental damage had been caused to the Ginganga and no disaster situation had been recorded but Vitanachchi said sand mining, using machines which damaged the banks of Ginganga was continuing.

"The minister's reply was totally incorrect. It was not necessary for an ecologist to measure the damage done to the river but even an ordinary person could witness the physical and environmental damage caused to the river by the sand miners", the JVP MP said.

Fernandopulle said the Minister for Environmental Affairs was not in the House and he will ask the minister to look into the problem.