PHNOM PENH, Oct 4: Nearly 198,000 square metres of land contaminated by mines in Cambodia’s Koh Kong province has been cleared and returned to the local community under an India-backed humanitarian initiative, benefiting about 134 families.
The 197,810-square-metre site in Kaoh Pao village was formally handed over to residents during a ceremony attended by Cambodian officials and Tanu Priya, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Phnom Penh. The Indian Embassy highlighted the development in a post on X.
The cleared area is expected to improve access to land for agriculture, housing, livelihoods and other socio-economic activities, providing residents with greater opportunities to use the property safely.
Cambodia continues to face the consequences of decades of armed conflict, which left extensive areas affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance. The presence of these remnants has posed a persistent danger to communities while limiting the use of land for farming, construction and development.
The clearance operation was carried out under India’s Quick Impact Project (QIP) scheme through the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation framework, The Phnom Penh Post reported.
The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation brings together India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam to strengthen regional collaboration across sectors such as trade, connectivity, education, agriculture and culture.
The handover ceremony was also attended by Tep Kallyan, Deputy Secretary General of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, and Y Nearynet, Deputy Governor of Koh Kong province, according to the Khmer Times.
India has maintained a long-term partnership with Cambodia in humanitarian mine action. Its assistance has included technical support, capacity building, demining equipment, mine detection dogs, support for landmine survivors and financial assistance for humanitarian demining programmes.
The latest project adds to these efforts by returning previously hazardous land to community use and helping local families pursue agricultural and economic activities without the risks associated with unexploded remnants of war.