“We will cooperate with local residents as much as we can to end rock quarrying. We will carry it out in order to prevent the disappearance of the fresh spring, natural beauty, and plant species in the mountain,” said U Kyaw Thein Tun, deputy administrator of Minbya Township.

A joint team of the environmental conservation team and the forestry team have recently conducted field inspections along Kyain Mountain, where the Kyain Taung Zihwar Dat Pagoda is located, to prevent excess rock quarrying.

“When we inspected along the mountain, we found that rock quarrying is no longer conducted on this Kyain Mountain so we have negotiated with the town elders and submitted the report to our superiors,” the deputy township administrator said.

Five people have been granted license to carry out rock quarrying along Kyain Mountain and the closest rock quarry site is only four furlong from Kyain Taung Pagoda.

“Mining [license] will expire at the end of this year and it won’t be allowed anymore. We will be able to have better security to stop it next year. The report we have submitted has been approved,” he continued.

The local authorities will no longer allow licensed and unlicensed rock quarrying next year.

“We are considering three ways to [ban rock quarrying] on Kyain Mountain under a regional order, environmental conservation law or forestry law, or community forestry [instruction]. We will protect against the destruction of Kyain Mountain,” U Kyaw Thein Tun added.