Work on the Jaffna sports ground, inaugurated by the President, suspended

2026-02-23 - 15:47

Construction work on the first international cricket stadium to be built in the Northern Province, which was inaugurated last year with the laying of the foundation stone by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has been ordered to be temporarily suspended due to the absence of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. The Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority, Professor Tilak Hewawasam, stated that instructions had been issued to halt the construction work currently under way at the Jaffna International Cricket Stadium until the required environmental impact assessments are completed and formal approval is granted. Construction of the Jaffna International Cricket Stadium, being built on Mandaitivu Island, commenced on 1 September 2025 under the patronage of the President. At the time, the President expressed confidence that the first match at the stadium could be held by the end of last year, and that the first international match could be staged within three years. Environmental Impact Assessment However, Professor Hewawasam said that as the necessary environmental clearance had not been obtained from the Central Environmental Authority, instructions had been issued a few days ago to suspend the construction and proceed with the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment report. He explained that approval had been granted to conduct the EIA, and that this approval would be valid for a maximum period of around two years. The assessment must be completed and the report submitted to the Central Environmental Authority for approval within that period. Once the EIA report is received, it will be reviewed, and if no issues are identified, approval for construction will be granted, Professor Hewawasam told the BBC Sinhala Service. ‘Illegal filling of wetlands’ Environmental activist Sajeeva Chamikara pointed out that the land selected for the construction of the international cricket stadium on Mandaitivu Island is a sensitive wetland ecosystem, and warned that the project would result in its destruction. In a statement issued on 23 February under his signature, he alleged that Sri Lanka Cricket has already begun illegally filling the wetland system and fencing off the area without obtaining environmental approval. The statement further notes that plans under the project include not only an international cricket stadium but also a golf course, residential units and a hotel complex, forming a large sports city. He warned that this would lead to the complete destruction of the wetland system and the collapse of the small-scale fishing industry in the Jaffna lagoon. Impact on migratory birds and small-scale fishermen Chamikara explained that Mandaitivu Island comprises a wetland system made up of mangroves, salt marshes and freshwater marshes, which serve as feeding grounds for large populations of resident and migratory wetland bird species. He also cited research identifying migratory birds from wetlands across the world that use the Jaffna wetland system. In addition, he warned that as the Jaffna lagoon is a breeding ground for fish, prawns and crabs, the project could severely impact the livelihoods and economy of small-scale fishing communities. ‘A systematic, realistic and people-centred development process’ Chamikara noted that in 2014, under funding from United Nations development and environmental programmes, there had been proposals to declare the Jaffna lagoon a protected sanctuary. He expressed suspicion that long-standing plans to destroy the wetland system may be the reason such a declaration has not yet been made. The statement emphasises that filling more than 10 acres of wetland land for a development project requires prior written approval following an Environmental Impact Assessment process, and that failure to do so constitutes a punishable offence under the law. It further notes that filling more than two hectares of wetland also requires an archaeological impact assessment and approval. He alleged that Sri Lanka Cricket is forcibly implementing the project without any of these approvals, apparently under pressure from the President and the Minister of Sports, warning that this sets a dangerous precedent for future development projects. Chamikara stressed that international sports facilities should be established only after feasibility studies, at locations that do not harm the environment or people’s livelihoods, and with proper environmental approvals to ensure public benefit. “Having experienced how the environment, economy and people’s lives have been devastated by flawed planning under previous governments, we expected a systematic, realistic and people-centred development process from the present administration,” he concluded.