Development depletes North

The redevelopment of the North is a major focus of all international efforts to rebuild Sri Lanka now that the war has been deemed over, but the Sri Lankan approach to development has been the also termed exploitation.

The resources of the North are being exported to enrich the south, at the expense of the Tamils, reports of activities from the region said.

The Manniththalai sandbar is being demolished as sand from the region is exported, to the benefit of Sinhalese operators from the South.

Manniththalai, a roughly 25 km long sandbar, extends towards the Jaffna Peninsula from Poonakari in the main island.It was a major route of communication between the Peninsula and the main island since ancient times until early 19th century and is dotted with archaeological remains ranging from microlithic / megalithic times to the times of the Dutch, covered by huge sand dunes.

As sand deposits in the Jaffna peninsula in places such as Mankumpaan, Ariyaalai, Manatkaadu are depleted the Manniththalai sandbar is targeted now, reports suggested.

Each lorry load of sand costing 11,000 rupees is sold for 44,000 in the black market. As an average, 40 lorries are engaged each day in the business in the Manatkaadu in Vadamaraadchi.

In early June, Namal Rajapaksa, son of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, along with a Hindi film actor Vivek Oberoi and Minister Douglas Devananda, visited the sandbar, and announced the opening of a communication route through the sandbar.

Namal Rajapaksa is keen in generating income through ferry services to the sandbar, earlier news reports said. He is also now deligated to receive all illegal income locally generated in Vanni.

The sand trade in Jaffna is dominated by a leading businessman associated with Douglas Devananda.

In addition to sand, pre-historic layers of gravel deposits in the Vanni region are also scooped out indiscriminately. The natural resources indiscriminately exploited are also used in the 'construction' works of the Sri Lankan military in Vanni and in Vavuniya, TamilNet reported.

Meanwhile, limestone quarried in the Jaffna peninsula, seriously threatening the groundwater and environment, is sent to the cement factory in Galle in the South.

Threatening the entire groundwater and fragile ecology of Jaffna peninsula, a private Sinhalese company is engaged in the illegal excavation of limestone in the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam North while the Rajapaksa government refuses to reveal details of this enterprise.

This is occurring in the area from Maaviddapuram to Keerimalai where the uprooted residents have not been allowed to resettle for the past twenty years.

The indiscriminate excavation of limestone in a 4 sq km area at depths of nearly 40 feet has already caused seepage of sea water and it is feared the area is becoming submerged, press reports said.

The Jaffna Peninsula depends largely on the limestone bed for the preservation of rainwater into groundwater.

The underground channels that bring in freshwater to the innumerable aquifers of the peninsula, have an underneath entry into sea adjacent to the locality of the quarries and indiscriminate quarrying and the possibility of seawater coming inside can affect the potable water of the masses.

Reports suggest that 30 percent of the groundwater in the peninsula has become saline in recent times due to various reasons.

A private company, ‘V. V. Karunaratne’ from the South, has installed heavy machinery including crushers in the above militarised HSZ where limestone is dug out, crushed and sent to a cement factory in Galle in South.

Hundreds of Southern Sinhalese labourers are engaged in excavating lime stone in Valikaamam North where its residents had been evicted by SLA, Jaffna MP, Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy who visited the place said in a press meet held in Jaffna 27 May 2010.

The excavated limestone is taken to the cement factories in Galle in ships and via A9 road.