East Public vow to ‘continue protest’ till Solar project is stopped

Batticaloa villagers ‘not to stop protest’ until solar project is scrapped

A village in Sri Lanka’s eastern district of Batticaloa has vowed to continue its protest until the country’s first solar power plant is shut down completely. 

The solar power plant was installed to generate power for agricultural use as the island nation continues to struggle with power generation and distribution.

Villagers from the Navarkadu village under the Vavunathivu divisional secretariat began their protest on the 29th of July saying the solar plant will deprive them of their livelihoods and cause irreversible environmental damage.

Nearly 300 families live in Navarkadu and the solar plant installed in 2019 on a 3o acre land is just 500 meters from the village. Locals now say an additional 30 acres of land has been acquired within 100 meters of their dwellings for expanding the power generating plant.

Cattle farming is the primary livelihood of those living in Navarkadu. They point out that continued expansion like this would deprive them of the grazing lands for their cattle thereby affecting their income and day-to-day lives. The villagers also expressed fears that their health may be affected by radiation from the power plant. Locals say their eyesight may be affected apart from skin diseases.

The villagers say acquiring additional land for the solar plant would put them under enormous social pressure as land would become scarce in the future, to build new houses as families expand. They say such a situation will force their blood relations to relocate elsewhere for a living and build houses. 

Navarkadu villagers have been protesting since 3rd March this year and till the 29th of July local villagers have had at least four meetings with the Divisional Secretary of Vavunativu and other officials but with no result. During the meeting, the villagers say they have apprised the officials of the present and future crises they have to face due to the expansion of the solar power plant. 

Now, Navarkadu villagers say they will continue their protest till the solar project is stopped.

“Dwelling has increased in the area. If the solar power plant is taken forward lands closer to the houses would be acquired for this. If so, then we will be forced to leave the village. Also, our cattle would be deprived of their grazing lands and fodder which has already happened. We are totally opposed to this. Our protest will continue till the plant is dismantled from here” a villager told local journalists.

The villagers have also handed over a petition containing their demands to the Vavunativu Divisional Secretary once again. 

Local journalists say the DS assured the Navarkadu villagers the issues they face would be brought to the notice of the concerned higher officials.

First Solar Plant

Sri Lanka’s first solar plant for providing power for farming was installed and inaugurated on the 11th of October 2022 at Vavunativu in Batticaloa district.

Energy minister Kanchana Wijesekara on the inaugural day said the solar power plant was a joint venture investment by WindForce and Vidu Lanka & Hi Energy.

Investors believe this solar power plant would add 20 Gigawatts of electricity to the National Grid annually, Kanchana Wijesekara added when the plant was inaugurated.