Three eminent environmentalists, along with the Bishop of Mannar, Rev. Fr. Bastian, have filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court against the procurement and construction of the proposed 250 MW Mannar Wind Power Project, reportedly awarded to Adani Green Energy PTE Ltd.
Petitioners Rohan Pethiyagoda, Prof. Nimal Gunatilleke, Prof. Sarath Kotagama, and Bishop Rev. Fr. Bastian filed the petition as public interest litigation. The petition names 67 respondents, including the Cabinet of Ministers, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA), Central Environmental Authority, Board of Investments, Ceylon Electricity Board, Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka, and the Attorney General.
The petition raises concerns about the credibility of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project, the role of the SLSEA, procedural issues in awarding the contract, and the characterization of the project as a Government-to-Government deal. It also questions the negotiated tariff of USD 8.26 cents per kilowatt-hour for 20 years, contrasting it with the EIA's assessment based on a cost of USD 4.6 cents, potentially causing significant financial loss to the country and burdening consumers.
The petitioners seek a Supreme Court declaration of the violation of their fundamental rights and those of the citizenry, declare the project award to Adani as wrongful, and deem any consequential actions illegal. The petition aims to further national interest, preserve public property, including the environment, flora and fauna, public finances, and safeguard the rights and freedoms of Sri Lanka's current and future generations.
