Jaffna peninsula under threat from rising sea levels: Minister

31 Dec 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Scientists had warned that the Jaffna Peninsula might be obliterated from the Sri Lankan map due to rising sea level and the polluted underground water, a Provincial Council Minister told the Daily Mirror today.

“Scientists had said the entire peninsula would go under the sea, if the sea level rose by even 50 cm,” Northern Province Agriculture Minister Ponnuthurai Ainkaranesan said.

He said in addition the peninsula could also become obliterated if people continued to deepen the wells indiscriminately.

“The danger can be averted only if the people in Jaffna paid more attention on environment protection,” he said.

He said an effective public awareness programme in this regard would be launched.

The Minister stressed the need to work out mechanism to save the peninsula from the ongoing geographical change, pointed out by the scientists.

He said that what former Vice Chancellor of the Sri Jayawardenepura University Professor Senevi Epitawatta had warned earlier was now happening.

He pointed out that the underground lime layers in the alkaline soil that spread all over the Jaffna Peninsula had been undergoing erosion for a long time and that clefts created by it were open to the sea. (Romesh Madusanka)

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Jaffna peninsula under threat from rising sea levels: Minister

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