June 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka government said that it would not rush to open the A-9 highway from Vavuniya to Muhamalai in the Jaffna peninsula until the threat of landmines is cleared.
Sri Lanka’s Highways and Road Development Minister T.B Ekanayake had told local media that there is a large number of landmines buried under the A-9 highway on either side of it and it cannot be opened until all the mines are removed.
“President Mahinda Rajapaksa had advised the Ministry that they should not rush the process of removing the mines since if anyone gets injured by stepping on a landmine we would be the ones responsible,” the Minister said.
However, the Minister said that they don’t know how long the process will take but that they will take as long as necessary to ensure that the threat of landmines is gone.
ColomboPage.