News
Professor spells doom for Mannar migratory birds from Adani windfarm
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Approximately 15 million birds migrate to Sri Lanka from 30 countries every year, Prof. Sampath S. Seneviratne, of the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences – University of Colombo says.
One of the primary entry points for these migratory birds was the Mannar islands, he said, expressing concern over the proposed Adani wind farm, which could lead to disastrous consequences for birds.
Prof. Seneviratne said each tower was 120 metres tall. Additionally, the rotor blades measure 96 metres in length.
“Windmills have no emissions, and they don’t make a lot of noise. However, whether these windmills are eco-friendly and would benefit the economy depends on a number of factors that lie outside the technology used,” he said.
Prof. Seneviratne mentioned that the proposed construction site was on the migratory path of birds. Over the past four years, the University of Colombo has conducted extensive research on bird migration routes using satellite imagery, as well as GMS and GPS technology. These data serve not only environmental interests but also aid the Civil Aviation Authority, Air Force, BIA, and other flight-operating agencies.
“Through our research, we’ve gained insight into Sri Lanka’s position within the migratory routes of birds. For instance, certain birds in Pesalai, Mannar, lay eggs in Europe, spending six months there before migrating to Sri Lanka for the other half of the year. This round trip spans approximately 25,000 kilometers. Additionally, some birds lay eggs in the Arctic during the brief period when the snow begins to melt, then journey to Sri Lanka with their offspring. Annually, approximately 15 million birds migrate to Sri Lanka from 30 different countries,” Prof. Seneviratne said.
Prof. Sampath S. Seneviratne
According to Prof. Seneviratne, birds follow eight primary migratory routes, one of which is known as the Central Asian Highway. During September and October, when the northern regions of the world experience cold temperatures, approximately four billion birds use this route to migrate southwards. They then return to the north during March and April.
“Sri Lanka lies at the southernmost end of the Central Asian Highway, with Antarctica located approximately 12,000 kilometres further south. Through signed agreements, we have committed to safeguarding the well-being of these migrating birds while they are within our borders,” he said.
“There are three main routes birds take to enter Sri Lanka. One lies between Colombo and Chilaw, the second one is through Mannar and the third route lies through Jaffna,” Prof. Seneviratne said.
“Among the three primary routes, the majority of birds migrate through the Mannar and Jaffna pathways. Birds entering Sri Lanka via Jaffna typically originate from regions such as China and Russia. The Mannar route is favoured by birds from the Arctic and those migrating through the Indus Valley. Birds tend to avoid flying long distances over water due to the lack of emergency landing areas, preferring to stick to land masses whenever possible. Consequently, the safest passage for birds migrating to Sri Lanka is through what is known as Adam’s Bridge. As a result, millions of birds annually enter Sri Lanka via the Mannar route,” he said.
Prof. Seneviratne highlighted that from an environmental science perspective, several areas in Sri Lanka hold significant importance. Among them, Mannar stands out due to its crucial role in facilitating the migratory path of birds.
“We are going to establish 52 windmills that have 96-metre rotor blades that rotate at about 100 km per hour in the path of these birds,” he said.
Prof. Seneviratne pointed out that many individuals in developing nations often underestimate the impact of environmental issues on their lives. He noted that recent innovations have made wind power a cost-effective solution. In Mannar, there is already an existing windmill farm named Thambapavani, managed by the CEB. The proposed windmill farm is set to be established by Adani Green Energy Sri Lanka.
“Adani intends to utilise all the lands situated between Adams Bridge Marine National Park and Vankalai Ramsar Wetland for its power project. The cost-effectiveness of wind power is evident, with the average unit of electricity generated by wind power amounting to approximately two cents USD. However, we are expected to purchase a unit at about 9.7 cents USD, which is five times the global rate. Consequently, we will be entering into an agreement with Adani to procure electricity for five years at this significantly higher rate, with payments made in US dollars,” he said.
Prof. Seneviratne said the environment of Mannar, livelihoods of people there and the lives of animals would be severely affected by the Adani wind power project.
Prof. Seneviratne called for greater scrutiny and consideration of its environmental and social impacts. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the Adani wind power project had been released he said, questioning the integrity of the study, which he said, may have been more of a formality than a comprehensive analysis of the project’s implications.
“The regulatory body for renewable energy projects in Sri Lanka is the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) and the Environmental Impact Assessment report shows us that it is the SEA, which is the proponent for the Adani project. They are also involved in taking over the land from private individuals. This is problematic like many other aspects of the project. We have agreed to purchase a terawatt of electricity annually from the wind farm at five times the international market rate. We are destroying our environment and the livelihoods of many people. So, what is the benefit we are getting from this ‘green’ project?” he asked.
The Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to provide relief and support to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, continues to receive financial contributions on a daily basis.
Accordingly, the Containers Transport Owners Association made a financial contribution of Rs. 1.5 million, while the Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers contributed Rs. 1.35 million to the Fund.
The respective cheques were formally presented to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (19).
The occasion was attended by W. M. S. K. Manjula, Chairman of the Containers Transport Owners Association, together with Dilip Nihal Anslem Perera and Jayantha Karunadhipathi.
Representing the Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers were Deshan Rajapaksa, Samudika Perera and Devshan Rodrigo handed over the cheque.
A meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and a delegation of UNICEF representatives was held on Saturday, (December 20) at the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister explained the measures taken by the Government to ensure the protection of the affected student community and to restore the damaged school system, as well as the challenges encountered in this process.
The Prime Minister stated that reopening schools located in landslide-prone areas would be extremely dangerous. Accordingly, the Government is focusing on identifying such schools and relocating them to suitable locations based on scientific assessments.
The Prime Minister further noted that financial assistance has been provided to students affected by the disaster, enabling parents to send their children back to school without an additional financial burden. Emphasizing that school is the safest place for children after their homes, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the school environment would help restore and improve students’ mental well-being
The Prime Minister also highlighted that attention has been given to several key areas, including the relocation of disaster-affected schools, restoration of school infrastructure, merging and operating certain schools jointly, facilitating teaching and learning through digital and technological strategies, and providing special transportation facilities. She emphasized that the Government is examining these issues and is committed to finding long-term solutions.
The UNICEF representatives commended the Government’s commitment and the initiatives undertaken to restore the education sector and assured their support to the Government. Both parties also discussed working together collaboratively on future initiatives.
The meeting was attended by the UNICEF representatives to Sri Lanka Emma Brigham, Lakshmi Sureshkumar, Nishantha Subash, and Yashinka Jayasinghe, along with Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, Director of Education Dakshina Kasturiarachchi, Deputy Directors Kasun Gunarathne and Udara Dikkumbura.
(Prime Minister’s Media Division)
Drug controversy:
“Setting up state-of-the-art drug testing facility will cost Rs 5 billion”
Activists call for legal action against politicians, bureaucrats
Serious questions have been raised over Sri Lanka’s drug regulatory system following revelations that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority’s (NMRA) quality control laboratory is not accredited by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB), casting doubt on both the reliability of local test results and the adequacy of oversight of imported medicines.
Medical and civil rights groups warn that the issue points to a systemic regulatory failure rather than an isolated lapse, with potential political and financial consequences for the State.
Chairman of the Federation of Medical and Civil Rights Professional Associations, Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, said the controversy surrounding the Ondansetron injection, which was later found to be contaminated, had exposed deep weaknesses in drug regulation and quality assurance.
Dr. Sanjeewa said that the manufacturer had confirmed that the drug had been imported into Sri Lanka on four occasions this year, despite later being temporarily withdrawn from use. The drug was manufactured in India in November 2024 and in May and August 2025, and imported to Sri Lanka in February, July and September. On each occasion, 67,600 phials were procured.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the company had informed the NMRA that the drug was tested in Indian laboratories, prior to shipment, and passed all required quality checks. The manufacturer reportedly tested the injections against 10 parameters, including basic quality standards,
pH value, visual appearance, component composition, quantity per phial, sterility levels, presence of other substances, bacterial toxin levels and spectral variations.
According to documents submitted to the NMRA, no bacterial toxins were detected in the original samples, and the reported toxin levels were within European safety limits of less than 9.9 international units per milligram.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the credibility of local regulatory oversight had come under scrutiny, noting that the NMRA’s quality control laboratory was not SLAB-accredited. He said establishing a fully equipped, internationally accredited laboratory would cost nearly Rs. 5 billion.
He warned that the failure to invest in such a facility could have grave consequences, including continued loss of life due to substandard medicines and the inability of the State to recover large sums of public funds paid to pharmaceutical companies for defective drugs.
“If urgent steps are not taken, public money will continue to be lost and accountability will remain elusive,” Dr. Sanjeewa said.
He added that if it was ultimately confirmed that the drug did not contain bacterial toxins at the time it entered Sri Lanka, the fallout would be even more damaging, severely undermining the credibility of the country’s health system and exposing weaknesses in health administration.
Dr. Sanjeewa said public trust in the health sector had already been eroded and called for legal action against all politicians and public officials responsible for regulatory failures linked to the incident.
by Chaminda Silva ✍️
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