The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, thank you for permitting me, under Standing Order 27(2), to question the Hon. (Dr.) Thammika Pathabendi, Minister of Environment.

¶ 02 Mannar, the largest district in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, and Mannar town are significant for their history, education, tourism and economy. With a population of 163,096, they host courts, the District Hospital, the Urban Council, Pradeshiya Sabhas, educational institutions, and the District Secretariat. The town is developing industrially in fisheries, commerce, paddy cultivation and animal husbandry.

¶ 03 For the welfare of the people of this town and district, the Dry Zone Urban Water and Sanitation Project was implemented by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, funded by the Asian Development Bank (Rs. 69 million) and the Urban Council (Rs. 8 million), totalling Rs. 77 million. Assessments of community needs, potential environmental impacts, and mitigation options were undertaken. Initiated in 2012, it was handed over to the Mannar Urban Council on 30 March 2015 and functioned smoothly till 2016. A comprehensive Initial Environmental Examination was carried out. Various alternative sites and technologies were studied; ultimately, pond-based biological treatment of septage was selected as the most appropriate option. The site falls within the Grama Niladhari Division of Malligaitidal, under Manthai West Pradeshiya Sabha; selected with District Secretary approval and handed to the NWSDB. The IEE was available for public viewing since 2012, and included an Environmental Management Plan and monitoring.

¶ 04 While this process was ongoing, by Order dated 25 February 2016, under Section 2(1) of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (No. 2 of 1937), an area of 29,180 hectares in Mannar was declared as the Wedithalathivu Nature Reserve by Gazette Extraordinary No. 1956/1394 of 01 March 2016—after completion and commissioning of the treatment facility. On 03 October 2023, Environmental Foundation Limited filed a petition in the Court of Appeal seeking, inter alia: 1. An injunction restraining the collection of garbage and wastewater at the site; 2. An injunction restraining operation of the wastewater treatment plant; 3. An interim order to immediately stop collection of garbage and wastewater at the site; and 4. An interim order to immediately stop operation of the plant.

¶ 05 Based on this, I ask the Hon. Minister:

¶ 06 1. On what basis and with what intent was this water purification and sanitation improvement project suspended? 2. What was the intention of those who prevented the Mannar public from enjoying the benefits of this project? 3. What steps will the Hon. Minister take to promptly and effectively recommence this sanitation project? 4. Notwithstanding attempts to halt it, what measures has the Ministry undertaken to proceed?