An average of five people are being killed every day due to the landslides of loose soil which has been disposed by mining companies in the Kachin State’s Hpakant, which is famous for its jade mines.
Seven people died in the landslide on June 11 – two men in Mawwan, two women in Mashi Kahtawng, two men in Magarpin, and a man in Yumar.
U Nawng Lat from Green Land Company in Hpakant said the public is suffering from the consequences of unsystematic disposal of loose soil by the companies in the monsoon.
“The companies only look at their interests. They don’t think about what will happen to the public later. The public is suffering from the consequences. There are rules and regulations for disposing loose soil but the companies don’t follow them. The number of people dying from landslides is rising every day,” said U Nawng Lat.
He continued that the government does not act strictly regarding environmental conservation and the companies do not listen to the public voice even though most of them are state-owned.
U Nawng Lat urged the jade mining companies to dispose the loose soil systematically in accordance with the rules and regulations in order to decrease the death rate and conserve the environment.
Local residents said the death toll has been rising due to the landslides in Hpakant since early 2018.
