Five years of development - Mannar district:

Exploiting the rich potential

by Dhaneshi YATAWARA

Today the land of Baobab trees in Sri Lanka, the historical Mannar district, has turned the heads of investors and oil explorers in the world. Today many talk of her development and progress and we definitely have stopped talking about the gloomy past filled with death threats from the LTTE terrorism. Mannar or the great Matota or Mathottam, as mentioned in the Sinhala inscriptions and Pali chronicles, slowly but steadily is regaining the lost glory.

Today, linking the Mannar town, in the island, with the mainland is one of Sri Lanka’s most picturesque and hi-tech bridge developed with the funds from the Japanese Government.

The bridge spanning 157.1 metres in length and 10.4 metres in width has been constructed with two lanes of carriageway and sidewalks on the Medawachchiya-Mannar-Thalaimannar (A 14) road. The causeway has been extended up to 3.14 kilometres in length and 11.0 metres width comprising two lanes of carriageway. The old bridge and causeway were constructed in the 1930s with a single lane which is narrow in width.

JICA and the Sri Lankan Government have jointly allocated Rs. 2,460 million for the project. The bridge and causeway construction project was to be commenced in 2007. However due to LTTE terrorist activities it was delayed by six months. It began only in 2008. LTTE blasted the old bridge to make an obstacle to the advancing security forces. However, Sri Lanka Army were able to reconstruct a temporary bridge and provide an entry point to the Mannar island.

Giant’s tank renovated

Considering the major projects taking place in Mannar, the renovation work of the Giant Tank is in almost completed. As reported the World Bank has allocated Rs. 385 million to rehabilitate the Giant’s Tank in the Mannar District under the Re-awakening project launched by the Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development. The tank which was the main reservoir in the Mannar district had been abandoned due to the conflict situation for the past two decades. As a result of the channel system the tank has been filled with mud and its bund has been eroded due to lack of proper maintenance for a long period, he said.

According to official records, the total capacity of the tank is 31,500 acre feet and it provides irrigation facilities for over 32,422 ha. of paddy lands through 223 medium and small tanks in the area. It is estimated that with the completion of rehabilitation work on this project over 19,887 families will benefit and they would be able to cultivate their lands throughout the year.

Three areas in the Sri Lanka seas, namely Mannar Basin, Cauvery Basin and Southern Basin, have been identified for potential oil and gas deposits below sea bed through sedimentary and scientific research done by International research firms.

Accordingly the Mannar Basin was divided out into 9 blocks. The block MZ was set apart for an India - based British company Cairn Lanka Private Ltd, while blocks MI and M8 were allocated to Indian and Chinese governments. In this regard the Sri Lanka government held a series of discussions with the Indian and Chinese governments during the past months to reach agreement on the work to be undertaken.

Oil exploration

According to Ministerial sources, Cairn Lanka, which is exploring for oil in Sri Lankan waters, has completed collecting 3D seismic data - and is in the process of selecting sub contractors for drilling exploratory wells. Cairn Lanka Private Ltd (CLP) is the operator of the off shore SL 2007-01-001-M2 contract area. The contract area lies in the Gulf of Mannar off the North Western Coast of Sri Lanka. CLP is planning to commence exploration drilling work of three firm wells and two optional wells from January 2011 to May 2011.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the seismic site early December last year, as reported in the Sunday Observer on February 21, Russia will soon join Sri Lanka’s oil and gas exploration work. A team of Russian gas and oil experts are to arrive in Sri Lanka very soon to hold further discussions with the Sri Lanka government, Ministry sources said. Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his recent visit to Russia sought their support for oil and gas exploration in Sri Lankan seas.

The CLP which was engaged in oil and gas exploration activities during the last 17 months has systematically completed collecting seismic data. The French firm CGG Veritas was awarded a sub contract by Cairn Lanka to collect 2 Dimensional and 3 Dimensional seismic data.

Uthuru Wasanthaya

Serving the local communities, variety of development works are carried out by the Government under the ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ (Waddakkin Wasantham) program guided by the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security of the Northern Province chaired by Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa.

With the resettlement program on full swing Government officials of the Provincial Council headed by the Governor Maj.Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri is sketching the new action plan of year 2010 to be implemented with the new financial year. Almost all the resettlement activities are completed, excluding the areas which are still contaminated with landmines. Infrastructure facilities relating to education, health, agriculture, cooperatives, public roads and irrigation are nearing completion.

The first attempt of the Government is to end the isolated nature of Mannar and strongly link it with the rest of the country and make Mannar a major contributor to the national economic drive. While the international economic activities boom in Mannar it is important to level up the lives of the local community and pave the path for the Sri Lankans to reach the developments.

Grandeur festival

The grandeur festival worshipping God Shiva, Mahasivarathri, was held in the legendary Thiruketheswaram Shivam kovil in Mannar, after a lapse of about two decades. According to the Provincial Council authorities arrangements have already been made to accommodate the large number of devotees. “We are providing facilities necessary for about 300,000 people as this time there will be the recorded number of devotees according to the temple management. Roads, shelter, water and sanitary facilities and medical facilities have been arranged adequately,” Northern Province Governor Maj. Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared the Thiruketheswaram kovil as a sacred city. The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security of the Northern Province decided to allocate a total of Rs. 500 million from the Northern Province Development resources for the restoration of this temple. The entire development plan for the Thiruketheswaram kovil to be executed in two phases. The first phase will be completed at a cost of Rs. 270 million. The Palavi tank in the vicinity is completely cleaned and repaired for the devotees to make use of its holy waters for the religious ceremony.

The Sirunavakulam - Thirukeetheswaram road, Ambal road and the temple road are repaired especially under this project along with improving the roundabouts and junctions. The reconstruction of the chariot path and internal roads of the kovil complex is completed. Fifteen water tanks each with 5000 litre capacity have been built within the kovil complex along with additional water bowsers to provide drinking water to the devotees.

After 1990, the kovil could not function due to LTTE activities. According to historical records, after the Portuguese completely destroyed the kovil in the 16th century a Mahakumbhabishekam was held once in 1960 after renovations and another in 1976.