A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Thursday, April 27, 2017
The Northern Desalination Project & Abusing The People Of Maruthankerny
By Purujoththaman Thangamayl –April 26, 2017
It was announced last week that the desalination project (converting sea
water into drinking water) to be undertaken in Maruthankerny would be
shelved after it came to light through scientific assessment that the
project would cause harm to the environment and to the livelihood of the
fishermen of the area.
A meeting was held on the 18th of
April regarding this desalination project at the Jaffna District
Secretariat. This meeting headed by the District Secretary Mr.
Nagalingam Vethanayahan, was attended by representatives of the
Vadamaradchi East Fishermen’s Cooperative Association, the Vadamaradchi
East Development Organisation, the Vadamaradchi East University Students
Forum, Member of Parliament Mr. M.A. Sumanthiran, and
Northern Provincial Councillor S. Sukirthan. Dr. K. Arulanandam,
Director of National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency
(NARA) who conducted the scientific assessment on this desalination
project also participated at the meeting.
Dr.
K. Arulanandam submitted his findings of his 1.5 years of research on
this project. After his submission, the representatives of the
Vadamarachi East organisations put forward their doubts regarding the
project in the form of questions. Since no proper answers were given to
those questions and because the research showed that the negatives were
proportionately higher it was announced that this project would be
shelved. This announcement was made to the media by parliamentarian Mr.
M.A. Sumanthiran at the end of the said meeting. The Jaffna District
Secretary was at his side when this announcement was made. Therefore, it
may be considered a somewhat official announcement.
But what happened afterwards? Dr. K. Arulanandam, immediately on the very next day (April 19th),
held a press conference at the Jaffna Press Club and announced that
there is no harm that would be caused by the planned desalination
project in Maruthankerny and that especially there would be no adverse
effects on the environment. But, he kept silent about the fact that the
said project was shelved mainly due to his incapability to properly
respond to the questions directed at him about the research findings at
the meeting held the previous day.
Following
these two meetings with the media, there have been two kinds of issues
regarding the desalination project raised amongst the public and being
blown out of proportion. Firstly, it is being said that the people of
Vadamaradchi East are being an obstacle to the efforts being taken to
bring drinking water to the people who are suffering due to inadequate
water supply. Secondly, is the view taken by those who are politically
opposed to Mr. Sumanthiran who are intent on taking revenge on him by
using this opportunity.
It
is unfortunate that neither the media, nor civil society groups, Tamil
National political parties or experts in the required field are
unwilling to research in depth on the initiation of this proposed
desalination plant in Maruthankerny and its current status. It is being
handled in a slippery manner. In such a situation, certain persons are
intent on portraying the quest for justice by the people of Vadamarachy
East on this issue as a sort of ‘ugly revolt’ to the majority people of
the North. If one considers the issues in depth and the actual truth on
this matter, one will understand the justness in the requests made by
these innocent people. That would necessitate making decisions in their
favour. It is a fear of this that is behind the refusal of most people
to talk about this issue. This is an expression of a dominant mind-set which refuses to understand the plight of these innocent people.
The
desalination project was put forward by the Northern Provincial Council
almost 2.5 years ago as a solution to end the water crisis in the
Jaffna and Kilinochchi Districts. This desalination idea came to the
forefront as a result of the objections raised by the Kilinochchi
District Agricultural and other organisations to the plan to obtain
drinking water from the Iranamadu tank. All of a sudden, it was
announced that a desalination plant would be built in the Thalaiyadi
area of Maruthankerny, Vadamaradchi East.
Usually,
when projects which may impact on the environment are undertaken, there
should be a step by step research process which considers the pros and
cons of the project and this should be submitted in report format and
publicised. In proposing the project, the people of the area should be
first consulted and their questions answered, doubts clarified and only
after their consent is received should such a project go ahead. That
is basic ethics. But, with regard to the Maruthankerny desalination
project, the people of the area were unaware of it till the announcement
was suddenly dropped upon them. A group of people were suddenly imposed
with a project for which they were not given any pre-warning. It is
only at this point of great disappointment that they prepared to protest
this move.
These
protests were not in contravention of any moral obligations. They came
to this conclusion in the fear that the desalination project was a death
knell to their livelihood which almost exclusively depended on the sea.
These protests were not against the efforts taken to provide for the
people who are suffering due to inadequate drinking water. Instead,
these protests were against the decision that is being imposed upon them
with a dominating mind-set and without proper research or clarification
about the project. These kinds of protests are continuously undertaken
by affected communities throughout the world. It was such protests that
the people of Vadamarachi East initiated almost 2.5 years ago. At that
time, the intention of the Northern Provincial Council and a majority of
Jaffna district parliamentarians was to somehow impose this project
upon these innocent people. This is what opened the eyes of most of the
people of the area.