A remaining hard-rock foundation to Matale's limestone industry

Ruwanthi Abeyakoon

LIMESTONE INDUSTRY: The brick kilns on the roadside of Matale remind the travellers and the visitors of its historical industry. Matale is well-known for its limestone industry. Out of the many pioneers of this industry only one remains today.

"Limestone is abundant in Matale. There are over 50 kilns in and around the district. The Limestone industry started in Matale. Our family business started in 1935. We are the only remaining pioneers. My brothers took up different lines but being the elder son of the family I was compelled to help my father," Managing Director of Ibra Traders Hassan Enoon said.

He said they mainly sell the burnt lime. " We bring limestone from our quarries and burn it in the kiln. The raw materials used are firewood and limestone. We find limestone even in the garden. Building new houses was an obstacle. So, I bought a land in Dikkireawa in 1985 to run this business," Enoon said.

"Earlier, limestone was used for foundation laying, plastering walls, brick laying and even for the ceiling. At present, cement has replaced limestone and it is used only for lime washing and plastering in constructions. Even though cement has evaded this industry the demand for lime is increasing daily," he explained.

Enoon said the increase in construction has kept the business going. " Those days we manufactured burnt lime but now it has to reach the market with a new look. The lime is powdered using grinding machines, bagged and sent to the market," he said.

Enoon has introduced a large pulveriser with a bigger capacity to powder the burnt limestone.

" My aim is to improve our products. With the larger pulveriser the work became efficient. I am hoping to get a rolling machine within a year or two to offer a better product," he explained.

"Lime is obtained from corals also. Coral lime peels off. The lime that we produce lasts long. There are no issues with the product," Enoon said.

He added that lime is now used in several other industries. "It is used in pharmaceutical products, cement, paints, soap and chlorine. Lime product is also used as estate manure to make the earth soft. It is used in prawn farming to prepare the beds," he said.

Enoon has travelled to India together with five other manufacturers to study the limestone industry. "In India lime is vastly used in iron industry. They have a research institute to seek ways of producing lime in an environmentally friendly manner. They have new technical methods also," he pointed out.

"We can implement new methods but the high cost is a barrier. Lime kiln can be set up in any living community," he said.

He added that there is high competition in Matale. "It is a competitive business in our district. Accessing the international market is difficult because of India and China. But we can improve the quality of our products. We can also prevent the alternatives imported for lime.

Then the flow of money to foreign countries will cease," he said. Enoon provides employment for about 30 villagers. He does not only concentrate on expanding his business but also carries out other social responsibilities. He runs a library and a reading room for the community free.

He is the Vice President of the Matale District Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Limestone based Industrial Products Co. Ltd. These positions help him to expand his innovations to others involved in the industry.

"The Business for Peace Alliance gave me a lot of scope on marketing. I came in contact with many people. I am willing to supply even Killinochchi and Jaffna. My aim is to expand the horizons and develop this industry. At present over 2000 families are involved in this business in Sri Lanka. The industry can be developed and we can save a lot of money", Enoon revealed his future plans.