Bozena Mini-Flail Speeds Up Clearance
Communities of the Vanni area in northern Sri Lanka are suffering the aftermath of over 20 years of civil war. During this time the Sri Lankan Army claim to have laid approximately 1 million mines - the majority of which are found in the north. This makes this area one of the most heavily contaminated areas in the world.
The minefields of northern Sri Lanka follow a regular pattern. Usually two or three rows of mines are laid parallel to a defensive mound of earth, interspaced with barbed wire coils. In between the mine rows are strips of land, which are not mined. Unfortunately, due to flooding, or minefield disturbances such as cattle moving mines with their hooves, or causing an explosion and a nearby mine being displaced, some mines "migrate" out of the mine row into the neighbouring panel. Before MAG can hand land back to the community for resettlement and development both the mine rows and the strips between rows have to be declared free of mines.
Since MAG introduced the Bozena 66,000 square meters of land have been verified free of mines. Land cleared by MAG is being used by families to rebuild their houses and start farming the land they left behind when they fled the area.
Mr Pollikaap who lives in Uthayanagar and his family of six were displaced due to the conflict in 1996. In October 2003 they returned to find their land contaminated with mines and UXO and their house ruined. Now, with the use of the Bozena, MAG has cleared their land and they have begun to prepare the land for farming and are building a small house. He says he "is very happy and doesn't have to worry about his children having an accident anymore".
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