The struggle to save Mannar Island isn’t over yet..

• Mannar Island, home to millions of migratory birds was recently saved from the throes of a disaster

While the incumbent government took exemplary initiatives to declare three distinct forest complexes as forest reserves apart from conserving the home range of the unique and rare Bandula Barb in Galapitamada, another pristine landscape is currently under threat despite various interventions. Mannar Island, home to millions of migratory birds was recently saved from the throes of a disaster. 

But the struggle doesn’t seem to have ended as yet as ongoing protests by villagers against sand mining, wind mills and other forms of environmental destruction indicate the gravity of the situation at hand. 

A deep dive into the history of this historic location narrates a story of prosperity, a resource-rich landscape often frequented and appreciated by merchants and trades from far and wide. Historians believe it is the famous Manthota or Mahathiththa in Sinhala and Manthottam in Tamil in ancient times, the port that connected Sri Lanka with the Pandyan Kingdom of South India. The abundance of pearls attracted everybody from European conquerors to Portuguese and the Dutch. Dotted with various historic remnants that add much archaeological value to this coastal town stretch apart from patches of land dominated by wildlife and birds adds the magic to Mannar. 

Decades later, Mannar’s proximity to India made it a strategic location and a key area of conflict during the civil war until 2009. Many Muslim families were displaced and they eventually shifted their home base to Puttalam and surrounding areas. However, in the post-war context those who resettled in Mannar and its surrounds lived off its marine resources such as fisheries and aquaculture. But forced acquisition of abandoned lands by the military forces, proposed mega scale projects for industrial aquaculture parks, heavy mineral exploration activities and eventually a mega wind power project to generate 484 MW of power made Mannar Island vulnerable to mass scale destruction. 

This is when environmental groups litigated against the project proponent at the Supreme Court, highlighting potential environmental destruction that would be caused by a mega project of this nature. After a continuous battle, the project proponent withdrew the project citing prolonged discussions and renewed government negotiation efforts after which the petitioners also withdrew their petitions. But the matter doesn’t end there. There’s always potential for surprises on this Paradise Isle!

The significance of Mannar Island from its unique sand dunes that are home to iconic bird species such as the newly discovered Hanuman Plover to its mangroves and surrounding habitats that attract over 15 million birds from over 30 countries via the Central Asian Flyway is enough reason to preserve this stretch of land. On the other hand, according to Sri Lanka’s wind energy atlas there are plenty other locations to setup wind power projects causing minimum damage to the environment. The consequences of several existing wind power projects on Mannar Island are being experienced by villagers due to flooding and other natural disasters during the rainy season. 

On the other hand, mineral exploitation would cause sea water intrusion thereby destroying livelihoods of people engaged in fisheries, palm, coconut and livestock industries. Ecologists warn that the terrain would completely change as a result of heavy mineral exploration activities, forcing its residents to leave. 

According to environmental laws in the country, if any project is earmarked in an environmentally sensitive area, the project proponents should initially conduct a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment. But lessons from the past reveal that EIAs conducted in most instances have been flawed and have been done without proper public consultations which is a mandatory component in the EIA drafting process. 

Considering its economic, archaeological and ecological importance, it should be the duty of the government to conserve this pristine area of land for future generations sooner than later.

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