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Residents fear more damage from Mannar turbines expansion
View(s):By Minaza Hassan
The Thambapavani wind power project in Mannar is being resisted by residents who believe that it has worsened flooding and environmental change, affecting their lives and livelihoods.
Many are now resisting its proposed expansion due to bitter experiences with the first 39 turbines previously installed.
Over the past three years, much of the community in Mannar experienced severe flooding lasting four to five months, said Rebecca Miranda, a member of the Mannar Citizens Committee, vice secretary of the Mannar Birds Club and prominent member of the Association of Women’s Empowerment organisation in Mannar.
Protesters say the wind‑power project has harmed the environment and people’s livelihoods, in addition to causing floods and the deaths of migratory birds
The rising water levels submerged homes and farmland, contaminating the pit toilet systems and creating stagnant water, which led to a major public health crisis, and about 189 dengue patients were reported from certain villages, with two deaths, said Ms Miranda.
Residents were forced to evacuate repeatedly, waiting months before returning, while widespread flooding destroyed crops, including the region’s well-known drumstick (murunga) trees, leaving the farmland barren. Recovery needed extensive human intervention, such as digging channels and diverting water, Ms Miranda noted.
The windmills of Mannar in the centre of a storm
Although the Ceylon Electricity Board initially promised to improve drainage and natural waterways, little has been done to date, she added.
Mannar is not typically prone to flooding, yet in recent years it has faced unusual inundation that residents attribute to the wind power project, which requires 6–8 acres per turbine along with roads, offices, and other infrastructure, said Ms Miranda.
Some locals also expressed concern that land has been both purchased from private owners and acquired from the state for the project, a process they feel pressures them to leave their communities.
In Mannar Island, most communities rely on fresh water through open wells except in towns where pipe-borne water is more common.
The fresh water sits in a natural basin beneath the saline seawater. If this basin is damaged, the fresh water could become salinated, leaving only seawater, which could not only make drinking and domestic use impossible but also devastate agriculture.
Salinity would destroy the island’s canopy and crops, turning productive land barren, almost like a desert, making survival difficult for people, animals, and local biodiversity, explained Ms Miranda.
The wind power project poses a serious risk to this delicate balance because each turbine needs extremely deep foundations of up to 150 metres drilled down to bedrock.
Building these foundations demands massive quantities of materials, including around 7,000 bags of cement per tower, along with sand, metal, and other concrete components. This large-scale excavation and construction could irreversibly damage the freshwater basin, triggering salinisation and ecological collapse on the island, Ms Miranda said.
Flooding is frequent. The elevated road and central line infrastructure built for the wind power project have blocked natural water outlets that previously drained excess rainwater into the sea, leaving water stagnating across the island.
As a result, the groundwater table has risen abnormally close to the surface; where wells once dropped 10–20 feet seasonally, water now sits at just 7–8 feet year-round. This means even light rains of 15–20 mm now trigger flooding, submerging homes and farmland, something that never occurred before the project, Ms Miranda explained.
Mannar Island is also a vital stop on the Asian flyway, with around 15 million migratory birds passing through each year and about 1 million staying on the island.
In wells, water now sits at just 7–8 feet year‑round, whereas earlier it was found 10–20 feet deep, indicating the change in the water table
The citizen committee member said species such as flamingos, seabirds, and jungle birds rely on it as both a refuelling ground and permanent habitat, with studies confirming that 150 of the 250 migratory species visiting Sri Lanka use Mannar.
The wind power project threatens this ecosystem by obstructing bird pathways, causing deaths through collisions and habitat disruption. Promised safeguards, like radar systems to stop turbines when flocks approach, are ineffective due to poor maintenance and lack of expertise, she said.
The Environmental Impact Assessment was inadequate, and the survey was in July-August during the day, missing peak migration seasons and nighttime arrivals, she said, adding that the process neglects Sri Lanka’s treaty commitments to safeguard migratory species.
Also, fishermen claim a decline in catch due to the floods.
“Forests were cleared, and palmyra trees, which were a major part of our livelihood, were destroyed as well,” said another resident in Mannar.
Due to floods, the children could not attend schools, and many developed wounds and itchy skin.
However, Mannar’s challenges are not limited to the wind power project; they also come from aquaculture farms, sand mining, and state farm developments as well, said Mr Leslie, another prominent member of the MCC.
Although, according to environmentalists, Mannar has been recognised as the fourth suitable place for wind-power projects, academics also highlight that an average of 8 kilometres per hour wind is needed for a project and that in Sri Lanka in general almost all locations have an average that is above this range, said the president of the MCC, Fr Marcus.
While these projects need environmental clearance, they are also not monitored well, and officials rarely visit, leaving communities to track any impacts themselves.
“This has led to conflicts, with residents seen as ‘enemies’ of development, even though we are only asking for projects to be planned in more suitable locations,’’ said Mr Leslie.
| Potential project consequences being reviewed Following the recent protests and a series of community meetings, a group of Mannar residents met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, ministers, and an expert committee appointed to study their concerns regarding the wind power project in Mannar. While the focus was on energy needs and the economy, it was agreed to temporarily halt the two wind power plants, one of 20 megawatts already underway and another of 50 MW proposed, despite tenders being called and contracts awarded. However, President Dissanayake also stressed that delays to development projects risk missing opportunities to strengthen Sri Lanka’s economy and that opposition can hinder the government’s ability to support investors and industries. Residents raised concerns about environmental damage, inadequate implementation of environmental recommendations, and the impact of both the wind power project and ilmenite mining. In response, the President announced that the Mannar wind power project would be postponed for a month while a special committee identifies problems and recommends prompt solutions. He also affirmed that projects would not proceed without Central Environmental Authority approval. The cost advantage of the Mannar wind power project was also highlighted, noting that electricity from the project would cost US$ 0.0465 (Rs 13) per unit, compared with US$ 0.0826 (Rs 25) per unit from the Adani Group, and intends to maintain the average production cost at Rs 13. Minister of Energy Kumar Jayakody also said that the Land Reclamation Department had been asked to prepare a report on potential flood risks from the wind power plant. | |
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