Analysis of environmental and social impacts of quarry mining for bridging stakeholder perception gaps–a case study from Padukka, Sri Lanka

This study investigates stakeholder perceptions of the environmental and social impacts associated with the China Harbour Aggregate Quarry in the Padukka Division of the Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Despite growing concerns about the impacts of quarrying on host communities, limited empirical evidence exists regarding how different stakeholder groups perceive and experience these impacts in the Sri Lankan context. A mixed-methods case study design integrated qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine stakeholder perspectives. The study involved 31 community members near the quarry, 3 quarry site professionals, and 4 officers from a technical services company, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with all stakeholder groups and structured questionnaires comprising open- and closed-ended questions administered to community members. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview and open-ended questionnaire data, while descriptive analysis was applied to closed-ended questionnaire responses. Findings indicate that vibration was the dominant impact, reported by all community participants (100%), with concerns about noise, water dry out, dust, and occasional flyrock events. Community responses revealed high perceived annoyance (93.5%) and opposition to the mining site (87.1%), although all respondents were unwilling to relocate, highlighting sociopsychological constraints. Comparative analysis revealed convergence and divergence between community perceptions and quarry personnel perspectives, with mitigation measures implemented but challenges persisting due to spatial constraints, communication gaps, and disputed compensation claims. The study contributes context-specific evidence on stakeholder perceptions of quarrying impacts and provides practical insights for strengthening community engagement, impact mitigation, and socially responsible quarry management in Sri Lanka.