Illegal Construction of Jaffna Cricket Stadium on Mandaitivu Island Halted by WNPS Demands 📉

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) has issued a strong condemnation against Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for commencing construction of the proposed Jaffna International Cricket Stadium without mandatory legal approvals. • Legal Violations: Construction began without an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), violating the National Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980. • Environmental Sensitivity: The site on Mandaitivu Island comprises critical ecosystems including mangroves, seagrass beds, and coastal wetlands near the Mandaitivu Mangrove Reserved Forest. • Economic & Climate Risks: • The area is a natural flood-retention zone (flooded in 2012, 2017, and 2025); the project is flagged as a potentially "wasteful investment" due to high maintenance and flood risks. • Threatens the livelihoods of local families dependent on small-scale fisheries sustained by these habitats. • Current Status: Despite formal notifications to regulatory authorities regarding earth-moving machinery on-site, no decisive action has been taken to halt the "unlawful" activities. WNPS emphasizes that large-scale development in this region weakens natural coastal defenses and sets a dangerous precedent for institutional transparency and environmental law adherence.