They allege sand mining and windmill farms pose risks to the wetland, which is home to a bird sanctuary

(UCAN)People in the Catholic-majority Mannar district continue protests against ilmenite mining and wind power farms, saying these projects threaten their survival and livelihoods.The protesters, backed by local youth and civil society organizations, have been participating in street protests and rallies denouncing the projects for about ten days in Mannar town.

On Aug. 11, tension erupted after protesters blocked the entry of vehicles transporting heavy machinery and equipment, such as turbine blades for the windmill farm, into the island.

A similar incident occurred in the previous week when villagers stopped a vehicle convoy carrying equipment, forcing police and members of the Special Task Force (STF) to intervene and clear the road at midnight.

Protesters allege that proposed sand mining and windmill farms pose risks to the island’s ecology and cultural heritage.

“Not many people, including locals, are aware of the potential dangers the district is facing and the challenges it [the projects] will bring to the livelihoods of thousands of people who depend on its fragile ecosystems,” young activist Selvaratnam Diluxan told UCA News on Aug. 12.

Young men like Diluxan have been at the forefront of opposition to sand mining and windmill farms, alleging that such activities endanger coastal protection, freshwater aquifers, and marine biodiversity.

“Just because these are named as ‘renewable energy’ projects and promise job opportunities for local youths, we cannot accept them, considering the natural landscape of our island,” he stressed.

Located over a land area of 3,952.1 square kilometers, Mannar is known to be a ‘deep river’ in historical records. Most of the 90,000 residents in the district either depend on fishing or agriculture.

Besides being a wetland region, Mannar is also home to the Vankalai Bird Sanctuary, situated on the migratory path of birds in South Asia.

The Vankalai Sanctuary Wetland was listed as a protected wetland under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in July 2010.

After protests erupted, a signature campaign was launched demanding that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake revoke all existing permits and approvals related to ilmenite sand mining and declare Mannar Island as a protected coastal ecological zone.

Local community will not allow such projects at the expense of their livelihood and survival in their ancestral land, said Father S. Marcus Adigalar, president of the Mannar Citizens Committee.

“Following the implementation of a windmill project carried out by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in the past, we are already witnessing the environmental impact of it,” the priest said.

He claimed there were increasing deaths of birds, while the noise and vibrations also had consequences for fishing.

“This cannot be allowed,” Adigalar told UCA News.

He further pointed out that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for the proposed projects were not made public.

Last week, all ethnic Tamil parliamentarians from the Mannar and Vanni districts wrote a letter to Dissanayake, seeking an immediate halt to the projects.

Kandasamy Ragulan, a youth activist, said the protest has garnered support from villagers, civil society, and clergy.

“We cannot let these projects go ahead as they pose a threat to our future,” he told UCA News.