GEM STONE MADNESS AT LUNUGAMWEHERA

The Bogus stories that more gem pits have emerged in the neighbouring lands have made people to go ‘crazy’ at Thammannawa, Lunugamvehera:

In Thammannawa area in the past few days, the people were very busy in searching for gems leaving all their day to day work aside in search of greener pastures. As informed earlier gems were found in abundance when the earth was escalated to fill the new road that was to be made.Immediatetly when the news broke out no barriers were announced by the state authorities’ not to refrain in indulging in gemming activities. The villages were given the green light to search for gems in the Thammannawa region where the land was located.
The land in extent of around 5 acres was later auctioned and it fetched a sum of Rs 270 million which was recorded as a successful auction. However a false rumour had spread like wild fire that in an adjoining land too similar gem pits existed. Poor people in this village having high hopes and leaving all their day to day activities had thronged to this land and had been scrambling in sheer eagerness to find gems. It is reported that about a crowd of around 35,000 people had gathered to this land indulging in search of gems.
In the meantime the Secretary to the Minister of Environment T.M.U.D Basnayake had confirmed that no gems were found in that particular land in Thammannawa above Kataragama and it only a false rumour. The false news had only led to pollution of the environment.
In the meantime  the Kataragama Police had taken into custody 14 vehicles and some tractors found transporting earth probably with gems embedded and they were to be produced before the Tissamaharama courts yesterday the 26th.