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CLAIM / MYTH: The land will be returned to the farmers in better
condition for agriculture than before the excavation.

REALITY: Farming on a gravel knoll can be difficult, since rainwater
drains quickly from high spots. However, piling soil into berms for
years can kill important mico-systems in the soil, rendering it
semi-sterile. Returning only a half metre of soil above the water table
leaves fields prone to pooling of water in high-rainfall seasons,
destroying crops and crippling farmers’ incomes. Experts have advised
that rehabilitation in similar situations is usually conducive to
nothing more than grasslands and pastures– not the corn these farmers
need to feed their cattle.

 

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