• Environmentalists allege large-scale wetland reclamation without mandatory approvals under National Environmental Act
• Mixed reactions from residents as CEA halts work pending EIA
• Activists warn of flood risks, fisheries collapse, irreversible ecosystem damage
• Legal proceedings over alleged mass graves add further sensitivity to Mandaitivu site
• Cabinet signals continuation of project as regulatory scrutiny continues 

On 1 September 2025, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake attended the ceremony marking the commencement of construction of the Jaffna International Cricket Stadium (JICS) on Mandaitivu Island. 

Speaking at the event, the President said that during the last Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, the people of the north had taken one step forward with the National People’s Power Government, with the vision of moving a thousand steps ahead. It was also announced that under a long-term plan, Mandaitivu Island would be developed into a fully-fledged sports city, equipped with international-standard facilities.

The proposed sports city will include a swimming complex, a modern indoor stadium for multiple sports, star-class hotels and restaurants, luxury apartments, shopping complexes, and recreational centres. The JICS will reportedly be constructed in four phases. 

The stadium, to be built on land provided by the Velanai Pradeshiya Sabha to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), will have a seating capacity of approximately 40,000 spectators. It will be equipped to host international day-night matches. Once completed, it will become Sri Lanka’s fifth stadium capable of hosting international matches and the seventh international-standard cricket stadium in the country. 

According to SLC, the construction of the stadium forms part of its broader vision to establish a 138-acre sports city in Jaffna. The international cricket ground will span 48 acres, featuring 10 centre wickets with boundary distances extending up to 80 metres, exceeding international standards.

Following the announcement, environmentalists immediately raised concerns over the suitability of the site, citing Mandaitivu’s fragile ecosystem. Mandaitivu is a low-lying island of 7.6 sq km, rising only about five metres above sea level. Environmentalists argued that the large-scale landfilling required for construction would destroy the island’s natural water storage capacity, disrupt tidal flows, and significantly increase flood risks during monsoons and coastal storms. 

Between 1980 and 2019, the Divisional Secretariat of the South Velanai area, which includes Mandaitivu, experienced 12 major floods, the second-highest number in the Northern Province. Following Cyclone Ditwah in 2025, videos circulated on social media showing Mandaitivu youth playing cricket in front of a submerged gate at the proposed stadium site, further intensifying concerns about floods. Last week, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) instructed SLC to halt construction pending an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Environmental concerns  

Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) environmental activist Sajeewa Chamikara alleged that the construction of the proposed international cricket stadium and sports city project in Mandaitivu had already commenced in violation of environmental laws, resulting in the destruction of a unique wetland ecosystem in the Jaffna District. 

He stated that the project, implemented by SLC, involved the reclamation of approximately 138 acres of wetlands without prior environmental clearance. “A unique wetland system in Mandaitivu Island is being destroyed to make way for an international cricket stadium and sports city. SLC has already begun filling and fencing off around 138 acres of wetland without securing environmental approval,” Chamikara alleged. 

He further charged that the failure of the CEA and the Ministry of Environment to intervene constituted a serious erosion of the rule of law. “When such a massive illegal act is carried out in violation of the National Environmental Act, and the CEA and the Ministry of Environment remain silent, it represents a grave challenge to the rule of law in this country,” he said.

Chamikara pointed out that under Section 23B of the National Environmental Act and the relevant gazette notification, any development involving the reclamation of more than four hectares of wetland must first undergo an EIA and obtain prior written approval from the CEA.

He argued that under Sections 23A and 31 of the act, implementing a prescribed project without such approval constituted an offence punishable by a fine or imprisonment upon conviction before a magistrate’s court. In addition, he said that reclamation exceeding two hectares required an archaeological impact assessment and clearance under the Antiquities Ordinance before commencement. 

Chamikara alleged that the project had proceeded without these mandatory approvals and warned that it set a dangerous precedent. He also pointed to Sri Lanka’s obligations under the Bonn Convention and the Ramsar Convention, stating that the country was bound to protect migratory species and their habitats. 

He further claimed that the conduct of the project reflected Executive backing and warned that it could set a dangerous precedent. “If such actions are guided or endorsed by the Executive, it signals a severe deterioration of the legal system in the future and places the country’s natural resources in serious danger,” he added.

The proposed project reportedly includes not only an international cricket stadium, but also a golf course, residential complexes, and hotel developments. “Under this project, in addition to the cricket stadium, a golf course, housing schemes, and hotel complexes are planned. The destruction of the wetland system will not only wipe out the ecosystem itself but also lead to the collapse of the lagoon-based small-scale fisheries industry in Jaffna,” he charged. 

He pointed out that wetlands served as breeding grounds for lagoon fish, prawns, and crabs, sustaining small-scale fishing communities. “The livelihoods and economy of fishing communities engaged in lagoon fisheries depend on these wetlands. Destroying them directly undermines the lives of those communities,” he stated. 

Chamikara also raised concerns about water usage. “At present, the people of Jaffna are already experiencing water shortages. Diverting large volumes of water to maintain cricket and golf grounds will intensify the water crisis and could deprive people of their water rights,” he warned. 

He further noted that Mandaitivu comprised mangroves, salt marshes, and brackish water wetlands that functioned as feeding grounds for large populations of resident and migratory wetland birds. Among species recorded in the area are glossy ibis, black-tailed godwit, garganey, Eurasian wigeon, northern pintail, and northern shoveler, with flocks numbering in the thousands. 

“By destroying such a unique wetland system, we are depriving migratory birds, which have followed this route for millions of years to escape the northern winter, of their feeding and resting habitats within a very short period of time,” he said.

The activist stressed that MONLAR did not oppose development in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. “We are not saying that an international stadium should not be built in the north. The people of the north and east have the right to development and equal treatment. However, development must uphold the rule of law and legal equality. It must be based on the wishes of the people and must not displace communities and nature in the name of commercial gain,” he said.

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) also strongly condemned what it described as the illegal commencement of construction without obtaining mandatory statutory approvals under the National Environmental Act.

“Any clearing, fencing, or preparatory construction carried out without required environmental clearances is unlawful and constitutes a serious breach of Sri Lanka’s environmental safeguards. Mandaitivu also functions as a natural flood-retention zone that becomes inundated during seasonal rains, as seen in 2012, 2017, and 2025. Constructing a large stadium and sports complex on this land would increase flood risk, weaken natural coastal defences, and create long-term economic and maintenance burdens, potentially turning the project into an unsustainable and wasteful investment built on land that naturally floods.

“The island’s mangroves and seagrass beds are vital blue-carbon ecosystems that store carbon, support fisheries, maintain water quality, and protect coastal communities from storms and erosion. Many local families depend on small-scale fisheries sustained by these habitats; their livelihoods are now at risk due to the ecological damage posed by the project. The proposed stadium and complex are not only unlawful but also threaten the community’s right to a clean, healthy, and intact environment, advancing the interests of Sri Lanka Cricket at the expense of local communities and fragile ecosystems,” the WNPS said. 

Writing to the CEA, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) urged it to halt all construction activities at the proposed site. In a letter addressed to the Director General of the CEA, CEJ Chairman Hemantha Withanage said that the site was a low-lying coastal wetland that played a critical role in flood regulation, coastal protection, and biodiversity conservation in the Jaffna Peninsula. 

The CEJ warned that large-scale landfilling, clearing, and construction could permanently damage these ecosystems and increase flood risks. It also raised concerns regarding the apparent absence or inadequacy of approvals under the National Environmental Act and the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Act. Following these developments, the CEA this week ordered construction activities to be halted until the environmental process is completed.

Mixed reactions from local residents

Residents in Jaffna have expressed mixed reactions to the construction. Attorney-at-Law Benislos Thushan said that several concerns had been raised by the community, particularly environmental ones. “One of the main concerns is the environment. There are mangroves, a lot of vegetation, and fauna and flora in that area. These mangroves have grown naturally and they are crucial for maintaining the ecosystem balance there,” he said. 

“It is important to distinguish that. Proponents of this development project try to portray people as being against development or being short-sighted. But I think there is a valid concern. We are not saying no to an international cricket ground. Nobody has said that. What we are saying is, if you must build one, there are other areas. Build it carefully, but don’t build it in an area that would affect the ecosystem.” 

Thushan also referred to what he described as an ‘unspoken’ concern within the community. “There have been allegations that there could be a mass grave in Mandaitivu. At one point, a few skeletons were found, but nothing substantial followed. No proper proceedings were initiated. Also, Mandaitivu is said to be a concern because it was a highly militarised area where Father Jim Brown disappeared in 2006. There is a historical context of that sort on the table. People are asking, ‘If you really bury this, is it a way of burying the truth?’” 

He further noted that residents had questioned the legal status of the land. “What people have said is that this particular land was vested for the greater recreational benefit of the people of Jaffna and is listed as trust property. Why are they so adamant about building in a place that can have an adverse impact on the community?” he questioned. “Fundamentally, we are not against development. We actually want development. But it is not going to be a blanket approval from us when they do it against our will, when they do it in places that affect us, because we are the ones who stand to lose from this.” 

Aingkaran Kugathasan, a civil society activist based in Jaffna, also said that public opinion remained divided. “People’s thoughts are divided. Youngsters mainly get excited when they hear about a stadium. But at the same time, these same youngsters are very concerned about the environment, and there are also accusations that there is a mass graveyard,” he said. 

“So, for these reasons, and also because this is not our priority, there is no point in building one when it is not going to help the local economy or provide employment to the local people.

“Some people are excited, but opinion is divided for different reasons. Some are concerned about the environment, some feel it is not a priority and that the focus should be on other needs, and others raise concerns about alleged mass graves,” he added. 

“We are not saying that we do not need development or a stadium. In our view, there are more suitable places in Jaffna for this purpose. We are just concerned about these issues,” he said. 

Legal proceedings relating to alleged mass graves in Mandaitivu are currently before the Urkavatturai Magistrate’s Court. In September 2025, family members of the disappeared and local representatives lodged complaints seeking court approval to excavate three specific wells on the island, including one located within temple premises. 

The case concerned allegations that bodies were disposed of in sealed wells following military operations in August 1990. On 18 December 2025, the Magistrate’s Court adjourned the matter to 31 March this year. As of February, the application for excavation remains pending, with no authorisation granted for exhumation yet.

Why the CEA instructed a halt

CEA Director General Kapila Mahesh Rajapaksha said that the authority had issued a Project Outline Report (POR) to SLC as part of the EIA procedure. He explained that the POR had been issued after the Forest Conservation Department had confirmed that the 48-acre land allocated for the stadium did not fall within a protected forest area. However, the project cannot proceed until SLC submits a completed environmental assessment evaluating the project’s ecological impacts. 

“The CEA will only decide on granting approval once SLC evaluates the environmental impact and submits the relevant reports to us. Until then, all ground-level activities will remain suspended,” he said. 

Rajapaksha noted that complaints had been received alleging that construction work had commenced although SLC had not submitted the required environmental impact reports. “Following these reports, the CEA’s Jaffna office was instructed to conduct inspections. Officials reported that although no active construction was underway at the time of inspection, certain earthworks had taken place,” he said. 

“Under the provisions of the National Environmental Act No.47 of 1980, projects requiring environmental clearance cannot proceed without approval. Accordingly, SLC was formally instructed on 18 February to halt any ongoing work, as continuing activities would constitute a violation of the law,” he added.

Govt. response

However, Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said that the Government had not decided to halt the project. “We will continue the construction of the JICS. As you all know, there are compulsory reports to be obtained when initiating any construction work, such as the EIA and feasibility reports. Other than that, no decision has been taken to stop the project,” he said at a Cabinet media briefing this week. 

Responding to concerns regarding the environmental sensitivity of the area, he said that the Government would pay due attention to the issue and that relevant institutions would act accordingly. 

Attempts to contact Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, Deputy Minister Sugath Thilakaratne, and SLC for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.