Pajau Media
10th December, 2024
Local residents have expressed their opposition to the increasing number of gold mining projects being established along the banks of the Lungsha creek, situated in the Lungsha village group of Putao Township.
Gold mining companies have declared their intentions to commence gold extraction upon arriving at Lungsha Creek in 2023; however, local elders opposed this initiative and successfully expelled them from the area.
An elder from the Lungsha Yang village reported that Daw A Cha Sel, a local woman affiliated with the Lungsha Yang community, has been the individual responsible for organizing and facilitating gold mining operations in the Lungsha Yang region. Despite numerous warnings and objections raised over the years, she has persistently sought to pursue these activities through various means.
In the previous year, we successfully expelled them once, and we are making efforts to do so again this year. It appears that there is an increase in the number of entrepreneurs this time. They are arriving from the upper Tanja Creek and the Khatkha area, moving towards the upper Lungsha Creek with heavy machinery. They claim to have obtained permission from both the SAC and the KIA; however, when the village elders inquired with the KIA, they were informed that no such permission had been granted. Consequently, the villagers are assembling in large numbers to protest, as stated by a village elder.
Over 5,000 individuals reside in the Lungsha Yang village tract. The community primarily engages in agricultural practices, and their drinking water supply, along with hydroelectric power generation, relies solely on Lungsha Creek. Concerns have been raised that if gold mining persists in the upper reaches of the creek, which serves as a vital water source, it could lead to the creek's depletion, resulting in significant challenges for the local population.
Residents have reported that Daw A Cha Sel, a woman attempting to initiate a gold mining project, has received warnings and been prohibited from proceeding on more than three occasions. Despite these restrictions, she continues to pursue her endeavors through different means. The community is urging the township administration to implement decisive measures in compliance with legal regulations.
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