"Adani’s Wind Power Project in Sri Lanka Hits Rough Weather", 17 June 2024

Criticism of Adani projects is not new in Sri Lanka. For the first time now, a public interest litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court against Adani Green Energy.

Last week, the Bishop of the Diocese of Mannar along with three prominent environmentalists, filed a public interest litigation in the Sri Lankan Supreme Court, challenging the proposed 250 MW Mannar Wind Power Project.

In February 2023, Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment approved the development of the $442-million wind power project by Adani Green Energy. Wind power plants were to be built in Mannar and Pooneryn in Northern Sri Lanka...

While Adani’s projects have faced setbacks and criticism previously, the litigation against Adani Green Energy is the first legal challenge facing the formidable Adani Group in Sri Lanka...

The legal petition in the Supreme Court has challenged the procurement process and construction of the project by Adani Green Energy.

It names 67 respondents, including the Cabinet of Ministers, the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA), the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), the Board of Investment, the Ceylon Electricity Board, the Public Utilities Commission Sri Lanka, and the Attorney General. In addition to raising concerns about the credibility of the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the role of the SLSEA, the petition highlights procedural issues in the awarding of the contract and questions the characterization of the project as a government-to-government deal.

The petition challenges the basis for the negotiated tariff...

The petitioners also say that despite the project’s national importance, the two sides have not made data available for public scrutiny. The petition requested the Court to order the release of all files and records, including bids for the Mannar and proposed 234 MW Pooneryn plants; deliberations and negotiations; Cabinet decisions; unit price discussions; and criteria for project assessments...

The petition emphasizes the importance of Mannar Island as a focal point of the Central Asian Flyway, making it crucial for conservation and tourism...

The petitioners seek a declaration from the Supreme Court that their fundamental rights and those of the citizenry have been violated and that the decisions to award the project to Adani are wrongful and should be declared illegal. The petition aims to further the national interest by preserving and protecting public property, the environment, flora and fauna, public finances, and the rights and freedoms of the general public and future generations of Sri Lanka...