Archaeology dept. approves Tissamaharama wewa project

COLOMBO (News1st): The archaeology department says it will permit a project to dredge and clean up the Tissamaharama wewa from Monday. "We felt that the project can go ahead. It will not cause any damage to artefacts," Senior Prof. Anura Manatunga, the director-general of the department of Archaeology said. "We hope to grant written approval for this on Monday". But, Dr P. B. Dharmasena, a research officer believes, that a proper survey must be carried to determine the extent of the sand bed in the Tissamaharama wewa. "That is because a mud layer with a thickness of at least 1 feet must be left behind. Dredging the wewa in a haphazard manner is massive damage to this nation," he said during the Mawatha programme on Sirasa TV.