Despite repeated pleas from civil society organizations, environmentalists, and locals over the construction of a wind power plant in Eastern Mannar, the government of Sri Lanka announced that it would forge ahead regardless and call for tenders this week owing to ‘growing interests from investors.’
Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekara told the media earlier this week that ten wind and solar projects poised to attract local and foreign investors are being worked off. One of these is the wind power plant in Mannar for which “plans are underway to release a tender notice next week.”
The announcement comes despite the Mannar Socio and Economic Development Organization (MSEDO), in a letter addressed to the Director General of the Central Environmental Authority, finding that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) does not deal with the impact of the project while in its 2nd phase.
In a letter signed by J. Yardsan Figurado, the group says they oppose any further installation of wind turbines causing irreversible damage to nature, and any such reports that fail to detail mitigation attempts should be considered “questionable and void”.
He details how the 2nd phase of the project will cause considerable damage to the environment, particularly the Vankalai Bird Sanctuary, stating that “at present one of the key bird watching site[s] is bare with local and seasonal migratory birds due to the installation of wind turbines”.
In his letter, Figurado goes on to highlight several concerns, including loss of habitable lands, loss of livelihood, destruction of wildlife habitat, environmental impact, and major hydraulic issues. The full EIA can be found here.
A recent press conference by the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka (WNPS) to mark World Wildlife Day, which fell on March 3, also highlighted the impact of the Mannar Wind power plant on the environment and locality.
Speaking at the conference, leading authority on environmental conservation Professor Sampath Seneviratne highlighted the critical role that Mannar played in the migratory patterns of birds.
“Mannar serves as a vital global hub for millions of migratory birds, making it one of the most important destinations along the Central Asian Flyway,” Prof. Seneviratne stated. “The proposed wind power project threatens to disrupt these migratory patterns, putting countless bird species globally at risk.”
The Mannar Wind Power Project, spearheaded by Adani Green Energy Sri Lanka, aims to use the Mannar region’s resources to generate 250 MW of energy.
Santhosh Jha, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, told journalists in Colombo, that the proposed construction of a wind power station on Mannar Island “should progress after a better negotiation process” after reports that Sri Lanka's Cabinet Appointed Negotiation Committee (CANC) has been "raising concerns over the project components".
“It is a commercial venture by Adani,” Santosh Jha had told reporters in Colombo at a meeting with senior journalists recently), Economy Next reported. “It should progress,” he said when asked about the delays in the project.
The Adani Group – headed by chairman Gautam Adani – has long been controversial. The company’s proximity to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its energy projects have stirred protests not just across India, but Australia too.
Gautam Adani visited Sri Lanka in 2021, where he met with Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his powerful older brother Mahinda Rajapaksa. From Colombo, the billionaire businessman went on to visit Mannar – the proposed site of the renewable energy project – on a Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter.
India's ventures on the island have been dogged with opposition from within Sri Lanka and allegations of cronyism in India, particularly with the involvement of the Adani group. In 2022, protestors gathered outside the Indian High Commission in Colombo, chanting “Stop Adani, Stop Adani!” and “Hands off Sri Lanka”.
Residents in Mannar have been protesting calling on the government to reconsider its plans for the construction of the wind power plants. Illegal development activities destroying the environment in Mannar must be stopped immediately, protestors demanded.
