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Environmental lawyer warns Lankans to be wary of Indians wanting windfarm in Mannar
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Research has shown that Mannar is not an area with a high potential for wind-power and Sri Lankans must be wary as to why India’s Adani has chosen this area to develop a wind farm, environmental lawyer Jagath Gunawardana says.
Gunawardana said the wind-power project in Mannar can’t be justified on the basis of facts and figures, and therefore the government had started presenting false analogies to confuse people and achieve its objective.
For example, when talking about the proposed Adani wind-power project in Mannar, some writers and journalists without any conscience tell the public that Sri Lankans had to choose between an uninterrupted and cheap supply of electricity and nature, Gunawardana said.
“In 2022, we went without power for over 12 hours. Now, there is uninterrupted power supply, but people can’t pay the bills. The people might think environmentalists are overreacting,” he said.
The Sustainable Energy Authority had prepared a document on wind-power generation, where they had identified areas that had high potential for electricity generation, he said.
“They have identified locations in seven districts as areas with high potential for wind-power generation. Mannar is not one of them. The island of Mannar has areas that have medium and low potential. Shouldn’t a local or foreign company that wants to invest in wind-power choose one of those areas with high potential for wind-power generation? Why is Adani choosing Mannar instead of going to a high potential area?” he asked.
Gunawardana said the government and others pushing for wind-power in Mannar had not explained why Adani was building turbines in a low potential area for wind-power.
The Adani wind-power project had 52 turbines, and the Indian company had asked for 150 hectares to establish them, Gunawardana said. They also wanted 75 hectares for roads.
“Altogether over 225 hectares are earmarked for this project. They want 7.5 acres for one turbine. Do you need that much land to establish a turbine?” Gunawardena asked.
Gunawardana said Mannar was an area suspected to have valuable mineral resources. The environmental impact assessment said that the Sustainable Energy Authority would take over land from the people and hand it over to Adani, he said.
“This is illegal. A state institution can only take over land for a public purpose. Here, the Sustainable Energy Authority is acting like a broker. I don’t think this is legitimate,” Gunawardena said, noting that Adani was planning to sell Sri Lanka a unit of electricity at a price which was 200 to 250 percent higher than that of a unit of electricity produced with wind power in other parts of the world. The country would also have to make the payment in dollars, he said. The government had also agreed to buy wind power from Adani at a fixed price for 25 years, Gunawardena said, adding that due to advances in technology, the cost of renewables was decreasing.
“The government hides all these facts by creating false analogies to undermine and humiliate activists who try to raise public awareness. There are books on suppressing activists and hiding the truth. Many scholars have written PhD thesis on this particular subject. So, the government has a playbook already,” he said.
“The republic of Sri Lanka constitutes the land and the surrounding seas. Once we sell these to foreign companies, people and the government will have no control of the destiny of our country,” he said.
The newly appointed Cabinet Committee tasked with ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of Sri Lanka’s public service held its inaugural meeting on Thursday (19) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya.
The Committee convened to discuss strategies to maintain seamless government operations in the face of potential disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict situation in the Middle East, with particular focus on energy resource management.
According to officials, the discussions emphasised sustaining essential government services, ensuring continued service delivery to the public, and addressing the operational challenges faced by public sector employees during the current circumstances. The Committee also examined measures to mitigate any disruptions that could affect day-to-day administrative and service functions across ministries and departments.
Key attendees at the meeting included the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government A. H. M. M. H. Abayaratne; Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Secretary to the
Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri; Chief of Staff to the President Prabath Chandrakeerthi; and senior secretaries from key ministries including Health and Mass Media, Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Energy, and Digital Economy.
Representatives from state institutions such as the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation were also present, highlighting the government’s focus on energy security as a central priority. The Committee’s deliberations underscored a coordinated approach to balancing uninterrupted public service delivery with effective management of limited energy resources amid the ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.
Observers note that the formation of this Cabinet Committee reflects the government’s proactive stance in safeguarding national administrative functions and ensuring that critical public services remain resilient during times of external pressures.The Committee is expected to meet regularly to monitor developments, evaluate emerging risks, and implement practical measures to maintain operational continuity across the public sector.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on Friday lashed out at President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Parliament, accusing him of failing to uphold international law during wartime.
Premadasa said the President’s claim of neutrality ignored breaches of the UN Charter—including Articles 2.4 and 2.7—and other global conventions. “A neutral stance requires openly acknowledging violations,” he argued, criticizing the absence of ethical mechanisms to safeguard international law.
He also questioned the President’s handling of maritime issues, particularly whether Sri Lanka had been informed of the alleged attack on the Iranian vessel IRIS Dena, stressing that the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) permits only peaceful activity.
On the economic front, Premadasa condemned the government for missing a chance to buy Russian oil during a 30-day U.S. sanctions suspension.
He said attempts to advise the Foreign Ministry, including a meeting with the Russian Ambassador, yielded no progress.
Premadasa further ridiculed the government’s earlier dismissal of the QR code fuel system, noting that officials are now adapting to it.
Turning to broader economic concerns, he called for immediate negotiations with the IMF to secure a new agreement, warning that the current primary balance of 2.3 is unsustainable. He stressed the urgent need for a poverty-reduction program, highlighting that one-third of Sri Lankans live in poverty.
He also demanded that surplus Treasury funds be used to support relief packages, arguing billions in reserves could aid households struggling with income shortfalls.Concluding his address, Premadasa criticized the government for failing to prepare for foreseeable crises, leaving the country vulnerable.
Former Minister Johnston Fernando, his two sons, and three others were remanded by the Wattala Magistrate’s Court yesterday (20) until April 2, the court confirmed.
The suspects, including Fernando’s elder son Johan, younger son Jerome, and a former transport manager of Lanka Sathosa, are under investigation by the Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID).
Authorities allege the Lanka Sathosa lorry was misused for operations linked to an ethanol company reportedly owned by Fernando, causing an estimated Rs. 2.5 million loss to the state.
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