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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 U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
