Action pledged against people mining sand at Sittwe’s Point Beach

By DMG 14 Oct 2021

DMG newsroom
14 October 2021, Sittwe

Action will be taken against those who are mining sand at Point Beach in the Arakan State capital Sittwe, according to U Kyaw Lwin, the Sittwe Township administrator.

The first phase of action against sand mining at the public recreational areas of Sittwe’s Point Beach will be for them to sign a bond promising no more sand mining there, he told DMG.

“If they assume the beach is their own area, they all should conserve it. However, they come by rickshaw or transport tractor [locally known as htawlargyi] and carry sand away from the beach,” he said.

Sand mining at the beach was said to have decreased following a campaign by the Sittwe Township Department of Development Affairs and General Administration Department urging an end to sand mining at the beach, but more sand mining has been found recently.

“Posters are erected at the beach laying out the ban on sand mining. Now, people come with small vehicles and carry sand from the beach. So, we will have to resume the campaign banning sand mining at the beach,” he said.

Ko Myo Min Thu, a Sittwe resident, said: “We do not see trucks come and carry the sand, but we see rickshaws come and carry out the sand every week.”

Ko Min Bar Chay, a member of the Rakhine Youth New Generation, said he strongly denounces sand mining at the beach because it will damage the beach and might create dangers for swimmers at the beach.

“What I see is that it affects the environment. By taking out the sand from the beach, the shore is lower, and it is not safe for the swimmers. So, we cannot tolerate the sand mining at the beach,” he said.

The illicit sand mining is said to occur on days when there are few visitors at the beach, and at night.