Mannar’s Fight Against Destructive Development and Ecological Injustice
Photo by Mia Abeyawardene
Mannar stands at the frontline of a new conflict: the cumulative impact of large scale development projects, in particular the proposed wind farms. While renewable energy is crucial for Sri Lanka’s future, the approach and location of these projects should be carefully considered. Environmental concerns raise urgent questions about transparency, governance and survival for local communities.
For over 70 continuous days, the people of Mannar have maintained an unwavering protest against environmental threats -massive wind turbine projects and the imminent danger of heavy mineral sand mining. On September 26 protesters learned that wind turbines were being transported to the construction site and blocked its transport into Mannar. They were violently dispersed by police, followed by a second crackdown on September 28. Several protesters were hospitalised when priests and female demonstrators were beaten by the police, who filed a case in the Mannar Magistrate’s Court against nine protesters, including three who were injured in the assault.
On September 29, community members staged a general strike. Residents closed shops, halted transport services and suspended fishing, with many marching to the Mannar District Secretariat. A letter was handed to the government demanding the immediate suspension of the project as well as accountability for police violence.
The Law & Society Trust expressed “grave concern regarding the violence unleashed against residents of Mannar who were peacefully protesting the ongoing wind turbine project that threatens their environment and livelihoods”. It called for full accountability for the police brutality and an independent investigation to ensure justice for the victims.
As the weeks drag into months the initial energy is fading, leaving the community feeling exhausted and alienated.
A key figure in the protest is Father Santhiyagu Marcus, Chairman of the Environmental Justice Centre and Mannar Citizens’ Committee. He confirms that lawyers are ready to file three separate Fundamental Rights (FR) cases in the Supreme Court and other judicial bodies to seek an immediate injunction. “If there is an FR, then they will have to stop. We won’t allow it to go on.” he stated.
Responding to the crisis in Mannar, the president’s immediate action on August 8 was to impose a one month temporary suspension on the wind farm expansion project pending a review of community concerns to ease tensions. The cabinet has granted its approval not to proceed with the planned wind power projects on Mannar Island without the consent of local residents following the president’s directives.
The promise made to residents was to review serious concerns, including addressing the massive migratory bird deaths and resolving community grievances related to severe flooding. However, this action only provided a brief respite. The core demands of the residents, the permanent removal of the wind infrastructure and the repair of the blocked natural waterways causing prolonged contamination and health crises, have not been fully met or guaranteed.
Since the conception of the wind power project in Mannar, it has grown exponentially in scope. Initially discussed at a manageable scale, around 100 megawatts (MW), it has surged to proposals for 250MW and even 350MW. This rapid escalation is particularly alarming given the area’s geography. Mannar Island is a fragile, narrow stretch of land, approximately 30 kilometres long and only 4.5 kilometres wide. Crucially, local studies suggest that more than 60% of the land mass lies below sea level, making it extremely vulnerable to storm surges and sea level rise.
Local environmental advocate Qunson Marynathan asked, “Why is there such a massive industrial undertaking in an area so precarious and sensitive?” It has been observed that alternative, less densely populated sites such as the Knuckles mountain range were apparently excluded from consideration due to concerns about scenic beauty. This suggests a disturbing prioritisation where the aesthetic views in one part of the island are valued above the survival and rights of a densely settled coastal population in another.
Mannar is not an isolated piece of land; geographically it is bordered by the Adam’s Bridge Marine National Park and features reserves on its coast. It is also near a number of world sanctuaries, including Vankalai Sanctuary, an incredibly diverse site, encompassing arid-zone scrubland, mangroves, salt marshes, lagoons, tidal flats, sea-grass beds and shallow marine areas. This concentration of protected areas signifies its importance as a biodiversity hotspot and a critical ecosystem for marine life and migratory birds.
The wind farm is merely the latest layer in a long history of industrial encroachment. For decades, Mannar has absorbed the impact of agro-chemicals introduced during the green revolution decades ago such as mechanised fishing disrupting traditional, sustainable practices; resource extraction including ilmenite and sand mining; and aquaculture including unregulated shrimp farming, which has devastated fragile lagoon environments nearby, turning vibrant ecosystems into barren land through chemical use and water discharge.
This cumulative impact perpetuates the fear that the entire development strategy is designed to systematically make the island uninhabitable for its current residents.
Mannar is a low lying peninsula, geologically young and highly susceptible to seawater intrusion. Its sands are not inert ground for massive industrial foundations but a dynamic, porous ecosystem that protects the island’s freshwater aquifers. These developments, particularly, the proposed excavation by companies such as Titanium Sands Ltd to extract ilmenite, rutile and zircon is widely predicted to destroy the island’s hydrological balance. Drilling just a few metres down risks breaking the aquifers, causing fresh water to mix irreversibly with brackish water.
Additionally, the development of the wind farms, specifically the construction of elevated roads required to transport massive turbine components, has severely damaged the island’s delicate natural hydrology. Mannar, a low lying sandy island, relies on a network of natural drainage outlets to channel heavy monsoon rainwater into the sea. Project infrastructure, including roads and central transmission line, was built without adequate culverts, effectively blocking numerous crucial waterways. This fundamental disruption has caused unprecedented, prolonged flooding that remains the primary concern for local residents. Floodwaters now stagnate for up to seven months in villages, submerging homes and farmlands. This persistent inundation has led to a significant public health crisis. The floodwaters contaminate shallow open wells with sewage from overflowing pit toilets, polluting the island’s limited freshwater supply. The result is a sharp increase in waterborne diseases and health issues like dengue fever. Farmers have lost vital crops, such as drumstick trees and residents are forced to purchase costly bottled water for survival, demonstrating how poor infrastructure planning has compounded an ecological problem into a severe humanitarian and livelihood crisis.
Considering the ecological impact of the developments, Professor Sampath Seneviratne has confirmed that Mannar plays a vital role on the Central Asian Flyway. His data shows that up to 15 million migratory birds, including species tracked on epic journeys to the Arctic and across the Himalayas, rely on this area. Crucially, the research demonstrates that wind turbines are placed directly on these proven migratory flight paths. Seneviratne warns that constructing large towers here creates a dangerous barrier, increasing collision risks and threatening the island’s carrying capacity, undermining Sri Lanka’s international conservation duties.
The core of the conflict lies in a failure of environmental and social governance. Local activists have voiced serious concerns regarding the integrity of the approval processes, particularly the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). The traditional EIA process is deemed insufficient; activists are demanding a Strategic Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SSEIA) that explicitly includes human rights considerations.
One of the most concerning allegations revolves around the fraudulent handling of community consent. Community members recounted situations where they were asked to sign blank attendance sheets at meetings, only to later find their signatures included in the EIA report as proof of community consultation and consent. Activist Melani Gunathilaka describes this as cheating and a form of burglary – a fundamental violation of the right to free and fair informed consent.
The integrity of the project approvals can also be called into question by reminding the public of the 2023 arrest of the former Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority (CEA). Qunson asked, “If the head of the authority responsible for approving these projects is susceptible to corruption, what can be believed about the approvals granted for massive projects in Mannar?”
Adding complexity to the advocacy landscape is the perceived co-option of some environmental organizations. Activists argue that many NGOs prioritise organizational survival and the pursuit of funding, specifically through mechanisms like carbon credits and offsets, over their core mission. This creates a paradox where organizations accept Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding from the very companies that are driving ecological destruction. While they use the money for replanting trees, their silence on the companies’ core environmentally destructive activities renders their restoration efforts moot.
Naturalist and researcher, Edison Marynathan added, “They are killing the ecosystem and they are doing the forest restoration, not the ecosystem restoration.” The latter, true ecological recovery, must happen naturally and cannot be fabricated or fast tracked for a corporate ledger. This systemic business model, where destruction is factored in and offset is purchased, is seen as yet another extension of capitalism that allows environmental harm to be socialised, with the cost borne by the most vulnerable people and the environment, while the profits are privatised.
The development in Mannar, particularly the wind farm expansion, demonstrates a serious case of environmental injustice. It highlights systemic failures in governance, the corruption of consent, and the crippling effect of corporate money on civil society advocacy.
The fight is not against development itself but against development that is uninformed and built on the marginalisation of vulnerable coastal communities. For the people of Mannar, the demand remains clear: a shift away from profit driven mitigation toward a comprehensive strategy that guarantees lasting safety and security for the residents, true ecosystem protection and a genuine, non-coerced voice in the future of their home. To achieve this, the government must move past the current model and institute a mandatory, independent SSEIA process, ensuring that the heavy cost of development is not solely borne by those with the least capacity to bear it.
