Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2020-01-08

Project for the Nourishment of the Coastal Belt from Mount Lavinia to Angulana and the Calido Beach through Mining of Sand from the Deep Ocean

- The Angulana coastal belt extending from Kollupitiya to Moratuwa has been identified as populous. However, erection of sea walls and groynes with the severe erosion of the coastal belt has resulted in losing the beach of the coastal belt in the said area. The sand dune extending 2 kilometers close to the estuary of the Kalu Ganga River has totally eroded and the most well known Calido beach has also eroded. However, approval of the Cabinet has been granted previously to commence the project for the nourishment of the beach through sand mining from the deep ocean to restore the coastal belt of 4 kilometers from Angulana to Mount Lavinia and 2 kilometers in the Calido beach in Kalutara. As such, the proposal made by the Minister of Environment and Wildlife Resources, to award the contract pertaining to the Project for the Nourishment of the Coastal Belt, to M/s Rohde Nielsen A/S, at a sum of Euro 4.40 million, was approved by the Cabinet.