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Tamils in Mannar sent postcards to the newly elected Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake and prime minister Harini Amarasuriya as part of a campaign to call for an end to sand mining activities and a proposed wind power project.
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The postcard campaign was launched by the Mannar Social and Economical Development Organization (MSEDO), at the Mannar bus stand on September 27. Several Tamils expressed their displeasure over the proposed projects, which they state have serious repercussions on the ecosystems and the livelihoods of Tamils in the area. Over 1,500 postcards were posted to Dissanayake and Amarasuriya.
Local Tamil residents have been holding protests for many months, to highlight their concerns over the impact the project will have on the environment.
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In the run-up to the Presidential elections, Dissanayake had stated that his government would cancel the Indian conglomerate Adani's 450MW wind power project if elected. He claimed that the agreement was corrupt and was against Sri Lanka's interests. According to media reports, Dissanayake had highlighted that Sri Lanka is purchasing energy from Adani at a rate of $0.0826 per unit, whereas a nearby Sri Lankan firm supplies energy at only $0.0488 per unit.
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“The Adani project’s costs should decrease, given its large scale, but it’s the opposite. This is clearly a corrupt deal, and we will definitely cancel it,” he said.
In February 2023, Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment approved Adani Green Energy’s $442-million wind power project, with plants planned for Mannar and Pooneryn in Northern Sri Lanka. In the court case which is before Sri Lankan courts, the petitioners have raised environmental concerns and lack of transparency in the bidding process to grant Adani Green Energy the go-ahead.
