- Adani awaiting EIA for Mannar
As India’s Adani Group awaits the green light for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed wind farm in Mannar, residents remain concerned that the region’s delicate environment would be affected due to development and encroachment.
Adani Green Energy received approval last year to construct two wind farms in order to generate 500 MW of power in the north of Sri Lanka, specifically Pooneryn and Mannar. For Mannar, this would be the third such project to come to the island.
The year 2021 saw the completion of 30 wind turbines, totalling 100 MW, on the southern coast of the island, under Phase I of the construction of the Thambapavani or Mannar Island Wind Farm, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The second phase of the project is expected to add another 100 MW to the farm. Adani hopes to construct its own 286 MW wind project on the island.
Last month, following a meeting with Adani Group officials, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera tweeted that the project was expected to be completed by December 2024.
However, The Sunday Morning learns that in order to meet this deadline, the Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) needs to be finalised by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) by August at the very least. Top officials from Adani are expected in the country again later this month.
Mannar project awaits EIA
Meanwhile, speaking to The Sunday Morning, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) Chairman Eng. Ranjith Sepala said that while most of the work at Pooneryn had been completed, the Mannar project was awaiting clearance regarding the environmental concerns.
“Most of the work for the EIA is done and we are waiting for one report to complete the process. As with any other investor, we are supporting Adani with the EIA process,” Sepala said.
He added that the lands that would be used for the construction of the wind turbines would be determined after the EIA was completed.
“Many of these are private lands and after the EIA is completed, we will start the compensation process. Funds have already been allocated for the compensation,” Sepala said, explaining how the lands would be acquired for the project.
Environmental concerns
However, environmental concerns have dogged these wind farm projects since their inception.
According to environmentalist Dr. Jagath Gunawardena, the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department performed an initial environmental examination for the ADB project, followed by an EIA by the ADB. “That was also an anomaly as it needs to be done by a Government authority. The Coast Conservation Department should have undertaken public consultations and consulted its Advisory Committee since this was a big project with a large impact,” Dr. Gunawardena told The Sunday Morning.
He further said that the environmental approval had no clause on the impact on birds, although Mannar was an important rest stop for migratory birds on the Central Asian Flyway. After concerns were raised by environmentalists, it was announced that the turbines would be equipped with a radar-based bird detection system to track incoming birds, which would temporarily shut down the system until the birds were at a safe distance.
Therefore, he questioned whether the new projects would have transparent processes with regard to the environment.
Home to rich ecological resources, Mannar Island’s biodiversity ranges from wetlands to coastal habitats and acts as an important biodiverse location in the country for both flora and fauna. Residents in Mannar lament that the construction of the wind turbines brings a range of problems to their island.
“This is a low-lying area and when they built the roads to access the wind turbines, the water did not have a place to drain to. We have had heavy rains before, but last year we had floods, which are unusual. They are constructing more and more roads to access the wind turbines. That is something they don’t want to address,” one resident alleged while speaking to The Sunday Morning.
Another resident raised concerns regarding how villagers had been handpicked for public consultations on development projects, claiming that these were mostly done for photo opportunities, without actually speaking to villagers with knowledge on such matters.
Meanwhile, fishermen, who constitute a significant proportion of the island’s population, where fishing is a primary livelihood, claimed that they had experienced a decline in fishing since 2019, which had been when the wind farms had started operating.
“We don’t have scientific evidence for this but we suspect this is due to the wind turbines. They built an access road along the coastal lines. Previously, the coastal line was undisturbed but now vehicles are always there. The mangrove patches along the coastal line are being disturbed,” a fisherman said.
Although mostly untouched, Mannar Island is facing a flurry of activity as of late, as corporations move into the area to take advantage of its many resources. Sri Lanka, which faced a massive energy crisis in 2022 due to a lack of forex to import oil to run its power plants, is now burdened with an even more urgent need to explore renewable energy options to power the country.
In this context, while wind power projects are certainly welcome, important questions remain about their transparency, especially if they come at the cost of Sri Lanka’s environment.
Attempts to contact Environment Minister Naseer Ahamed, Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe, and Central Environmental Authority Director General Hemantha Jayasinghe failed.