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Consensus of all stakeholders is vital when implementing development projects – President
A discussion on the proposed Mannar wind power plant and related emerging issues was held on Wednesday (13) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat, under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The meeting focused on the country’s energy needs and the importance of the project to the national economy.
It was decided to develop a framework to identify and resolve the issues faced by local communities due to the wind power plant. It was also agreed to temporarily suspend the construction of the two wind power plants, one of 20 MW already underway and another of 50 MW proposed, despite tenders being called and contracts awarded.
The President emphasized that energy is a national resource, not limited to one region and that electricity costs affect not only household bills but also the cost of production, foreign investment and the entire economy.
He stressed that the government is always prepared to engage in discussions about the project’s impact on people’s livelihoods, the economy and daily life, also to address public concerns.
President Dissanayake stated that all the country’s resources belong to its people and that energy is not confined to any one region but is the rightful possession of the entire nation.
The President pointed out that further delays in development projects would mean missing opportunities to uplift the national economy and noted that opposition to such projects hinders the government’s ability to provide relief to investors and industrialists.
Therefore, President Dissanayake emphasized that all parties must reach consensus when implementing development projects, and assured that the government is ready at any time to provide solutions to any impacts such projects may have on the communities in the areas where they are carried out.
Community representatives from Mannar, including religious leaders, raised concerns about environmental damage and impacts on residents from both the Ilmenite mining project and the wind power project. In response, the President stated that the projects would not proceed without the approval of the Central Environmental Authority’s assessment reports.
The public also informed President about the failure to properly implement the environmental reports and recommendations.
The President stated that the project would be postponed for one month in order to study the issues faced by the people of the Mannar area.
He further said that during this period, steps would be taken to identify the problems and provide prompt solutions.
The Adani Group had planned to purchase a unit of electricity at USD 0.0826, equivalent to LKR 25, while the unit price of electricity generated from this wind power project would be USD 0.0465, which is LKR 13. The government intends to maintain the average production cost of a unit of electricity at LKR 13.
The President also revealed that provisions from the upcoming budget would be allocated for the renovation of the Kokkilai Bridge in the North and for the new Mannar water supply project.
Minister of Energy, Kumar Jayakody stated that the Land Reclamation Department had been instructed to prepare a report on any potential flood risks in the Mannar area caused by the wind power plant.
To resolve land issues, the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Forest Department, the Mahaweli Authority, the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of Environment are expected to jointly prepare a report on northern lands and submit proposals.
Religious leaders from the Northern Province , Minister of Energy, Kumar Jayakody, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Development, Upali Samarasinghe, Members of Parliament representing both government and opposition from the Northern Province, Secretary to the Ministry of Energy , Professor Udayanga Hemapala, other state officials and representatives of Mannar Civil Society Committees attended the discussion.
European leaders, including in France and Germany, have announced they are working on a plan in the event the United States follows through on its threat to take over Greenland as tensions soar.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio on Wednesday that while nations want to act if the US moves to seize Greenland from an ally, Denmark, they want to do so “together with our European partners”.
“I myself was on the phone with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday. He discarded the idea that what just happened in Venezuela could happen in Greenland,” Barrot said.
On Saturday, the United States – using fighter jets, attack helicopters, and special forces – abducted Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, bringing him to New York City to be tried for alleged drug trafficking.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to greenlight the abduction of Maduro led to widespread condemnation and fear that Greenland, which the president has previously said should be part of Washington’s security apparatus, could be forcibly taken.
But since then, European allies have rallied behind Greenland’s sovereignty, saying the country belongs to its people.
Johannes Koskinen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Finland’s parliament, called for the issue to be raised within NATO.
“[Allies should] address whether something needs to be done and whether the United States should be brought into line in the sense that it cannot disregard jointly agreed plans in order to pursue its own power ambitions,” he said.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, requested an urgent meeting with Rubio to discuss the situation.
“We would like to add some nuance to the conversation,” Rasmussen wrote in a social media post. “The shouting match must be replaced by a more sensible dialogue. Now.”
Denmark has warned that any move to take Greenland by force would mean “everything would stop”, including NATO and 80 years of close security links.
Greenland’s government will join a meeting between Rubio and Danish officials next week following renewed US claims on the Arctic island, its foreign minister said on Wednesday.
The European Union will support Greenland and Denmark when needed and will not accept violations of international law no matter where they occur, European Council President Antonio Costa said.
“On Greenland, allow me to be clear: Greenland belongs to its people. Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark or without Greenland,” Costa said in a speech.
“The European Union cannot accept violations of international law – whether in Cyprus, Latin America, Greenland, Ukraine, or Gaza. Europe will remain a firm and unwavering champion of international law and multilateralism.”
Greenland – the world’s largest island, with a population of 57,000 people – is located between Europe and North America. Since 2019, during Trump’s first term, the president has raised the idea of controlling Greenland, saying it would benifit US security.
So far, Trump has not ruled out using force to take the island.
Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that Trump’s intention is to buy Greenland. “That’s always been the president’s intent from the very beginning.”
House US House Speaker Mike Johnson said he hasn’t heard talk of sending the military into Greenland and the US is “looking at diplomatic channels”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump and his national security team have “actively discussed” the option of buying Greenland.
“He views it in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region. And so that’s why his team is currently talking about what a potential purchase would look like,” Leavitt told reporters.
Neither Leavitt nor Rubio ruled out the use of force. But Leavitt said, “The president’s first option, always, has been diplomacy.”
[Aljazeera]
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Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya
The Landslide Early Warning Center of the National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya for the next 24 hours commencing at 1200hrs today [08]
Accordingly
LEVEL II AMBER landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Ududumbara in the Kandy District, Wilgamuwa in the Matale District, and Nildandahinna and Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District.
LEVEL I YELLOW landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Meegahakiwula, Welimada, Kandaketiya, Lunugala, Badulla, Passara, Uva Paranagama and Hali_Ela in the Badulla District, Ambanganga Korale in the Matale District, and Mathurata and Hanguranketha in the Nuwara Eliya District.
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