“Halt and suspend disastrous projects!”: A plea from people of Mannar

Residents of Mannar Island protest against unsustainable development projects threatening their livelihoods and community

Liyanage states that the wind turbines obstruct most natural water channels leading to the sea, causing persistent flooding during rain in this area. Consequently, thousands of people are displaced from their homes, often for 3 to 4 months

There is also a proposed sand excavation project for a private Australian company, where 90% of the total land in Mannar will be handed over to this said company, and the majority of Mannar’s 73000 residents live here

On June 11, communities living on Mannar Island staged a protest chanting slogans to protect Mannar Island and the country’s resources for future generations. The community called on the political leadership to ensure the sovereignty of its people. This protest is part of a larger campaign to protect the pristine Mannar Island from looming disasters due to various unplanned mega-scale projects that have been planned on this limited stretch of land. 

Concerns from the community

Issuing a statement addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Mannar District Citizens’ Committee emphasised that as a responsible community, they are willing to contribute to priority development initiatives. “However the current trajectory of these developments challenge our very existence and infringes upon our fundamental human rights. We, the residents of Mannar unequivocally believe that these unplanned projects, which often circumvent existing laws and disregard proper community consultations, constitute a serious breach of our human rights. They challenge our right to life and our ability to sustain our livelihoods. Furthermore, these hidden projects not only jeopardise our community but also pose a threat to the sovereignty of our beloved country,” the statement read. 

Main matters of concern highlighted in the statement include;

• Proposed  sand excavation project : The statement mentions about a plan to  allocate approximately 90% of the total Mannar island to a private  Australian company for sand excavation. This project, valued at an  estimated AUD 2 billion is reportedly designed for the company’s sole  benefit, utilising existing loopholes in laws and government gazette  notifications to increase their share market value in Australia. The  citizens therefore demand an immediate cessation of all discussions and  activities related to this project.   
• Uncontrolled windmill expansion: The  expansion of windmill projects through various companies and  implementation methods, often with the assistance of the Ceylon  Electricity Board (CEB), is occurring without adequate planning or  community consultation, leading to significant environmental and social  concerns. 
• Illegal  Indian mechanised fishing: The pervasive issue of  Indian mechanised fishing boats illegally operating in Sri Lankan waters,  employing destructive fishing methodologies that violate the national law,  is systematically destroying the rich marine ecosystem in the Gulf of  Mannar and the Palk Strait.This unchecked activity severely  impacts the livelihoods of local fishermen and the long-term health of the  country’s marine resources. 
• Land  distribution and acquisition issues: Improper and illegal land  acquisition in the Mannar district is denying people’s right to life and  to pursue self-employment livelihoods for the people of this soil. To  date, approximately 4000 families have requested land for residential  purposes and 800 youth have sought land to invest in and a uplift their  self-livelihoods and SME initiatives. Addressing these land issues is  crucial for the well-being and economic empowerment  of the community in Mannar. 

The statement underscored that people of Mannar seek their fundamental right to live peacefully and to reside on their land as citizens of this country. They urged the President to immediately halt and suspend disastrous projects in Mannar.

Titanium Sands Ltd – Progression of activities 

• Since  2015, Titanium Sands Ltd., an Australian mineral exploration  company has been carrying out heavy mineral exploration activities in the  sensitive Mannar Island despite resistance from the communities.   
• In  April 2021, the GSMB cancelled eight exploration licenses issued to  TSL when they found out that some Companies that have obtained licences  have transferred their ownership to the Australian firm without informing  the Authority. However, these licenses were mysteriously reissued in  December 2021.   
• TOR  delayed due to ongoing protests and delays in conducting site inspections.  Meeting convened at Presidential Secretariat to understand views of the  community and allow investor to explain benefits of the project. The CEA  consulted with the Attorney General who advised them to proceed with site  visits and complete the ToR.  
• October  2024  - GSMB stopped issuing licenses due to a Supreme Court judgment.   
• November  2024  - four of their valuable licences have expired without being officially  “retained”  
• March 2025  CEA provides Terms of Reference  (TOR) to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment even though TSL doesn’t  hold a valid exploration license. According to a TSL press release, the  EIA process would commence immediately.   
• In May 2025, TSL announced the  successful retention of licenses EL423, EL424, EL425, and EL351 for an  additional year, which are part of a high-grade zone identified in their  2023 Project Scoping Study. This retention allows the company to proceed  with environmental studies necessary for applying for an Industrial Mining  License.   

A grim future for communities in Mannar

But several years later, communities living in the immediate surrounds of this project complain about the adverse impacts of conducting dredging activities on a highly sensitive sand island. As a result, protests against heavy mineral exploration companies such as TSL and the ongoing wind turbines fiasco highlight the detrimental impact caused to the pristine Mannar Island and its inhabitants. Despite assurances from the incumbent government, which claimed that they would stop the ongoing heavy mineral sands exploration project, people from the community are still not convinced about these promises. 

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Jeremy Liyanage, Executive Director of Bridging Lanka said that 90% of the island has been earmarked for mining and it’s a 50-year project. “They say this is a low impact, environmentally friendly project and that it’s away from human habitation. This is how they are selling it to the Australian stock exchange. But in reality, about 90% of the island has been designated for this project. Sri Lanka is very foolish because it sells its precious resources for peanuts. There’s ilmenite sand mining happening in Pulmoddai, Trincomalee for 50 odd years and it has been highly destructive. We have done our research there and we spoke to environmental lawyers who said that it’s possible to do ilmenite sand mining in a sustainable way in places like Pulmoddai but that it cannot be done on Mannar Island because it’s a sand island,” he explained. 

Liyanage explained that in order to conduct exploration activities, all vegetation has to be cleared and a dredging well has to be dug to extract minerals such as ilmenite, which are at a depth of 40-50 feet. “But when dredging happens, seawater would intrude. They can get their minerals but once sea water intrudes, much of the island is gone. Already much of the island is below sea level. It’s like a basin. People can’t survive here and most people depend on dug wells or tube wells. If they are going to clear vegetation, create lakes and dredge, then there’ll be no water for agriculture, farming, and it would disrupt marine lif,e and the biodiversity in the area would really suffer. No one would be able to live here and people will have to be evacuated. Who will pay for lands, houses and schools because a majority of Mannar district’s population (73,000 people) live on the island which is the most populated. This is a very historic place and we have been developing it as a tourist destination. Imagine what’s going to happen when we see such scarring of the landscape?” he asked.

People living on Mannar Island are already suffering from wind turbines. Mannar Island at its widest is about 6km, and according to the specifics, a large area of land is being occupied by wind power farms. Therefore the capacity to hold more wind turbines (52) in addition to the existing 32 wind turbines remains in doubt. According to Liyanage, the access road connecting all these wind turbines unfortunately blocks most of the natural water channels to the sea. “Now whenever it rains, the whole area floods. Thousands of people are out of their homes, sometimes for three or four months. In December, January and a bit of February, in 2.5 months, we had five flooding incidents. It just destroys everything – houses, cultivations, home gardens. No one now wants to plant home gardens because what’s the use? So we are facing annual flooding just because of those ill-conceived, poorly planned wind turbines. In addition, the bird carnage is huge. Mannar Island is a birding paradise attracting species from Siberia, the Middle East, and Australia. We are destroying their habitats. The vibrations from the huge blades are keeping the fish away from the coast. This is the primary industry of Mannar island,” he added. 

Therefore the people of Mannar have said NO to both these projects. “Ilmenite sand mining cannot be done in a sustainable way on Mannar island. With regards to wind turbines it’s a quizzical thing because four locations were put forward for wind turbines and the last option was Mannar Island,” Liyanage added. He explained that there are other parts of Mannar District which are uninhabited and have larger wind velocities. Why was Mannar Island chosen when it was the fourth option? What’s going to happen to people of Mannar? We are not against wind energy but it’s poorly conceived and is in the wrong location. Right now, the Sri Lankan government should do something about flooding. There should be a flooding study and a strategy in place to safeguard the homes, properties and livelihoods of these poor people,” he underscored.

Following the economic downturn, many people in parts of Mannar thrive on rice and a bit of sambol. Biscuits and plain tea is fast becoming an ordinary meal in this part of Sri Lanka. This is why people were encouraged to grow home gardens because the prices of vegetables have shot up by 400%. But with flooding, people can no longer maintain their home gardens. This would have an impact on the growth and nutrition of children and youth. Flooding worsens levels of unemployment in the area as most people are day laborers. The Daily Mirror learned that more people are inclined to sell off their lands for a pittance to land barrens who in turn sell off their lands to overseas companies such as TSL. It is in this backdrop that people continue to protest, calling on the Australian government, that provides substantial aid for economic and livelihood support especially for women and children, to do its due diligence to better comprehend the destructive elements it would bring to Mannar Island and its residents, if Titanium Sands Limited, an Australian mining company, is supported to proceed towards obtaining a mining license.