‘Don’t dig our sand!’ – Tamils oppose establishment of ilmenite mine and prawn farm in Vakarai

Tamils in Vakarai, Batticaloa, held a protest this week to oppose the establishment of an ilmenite mine and a prawn farm due to the impact they will have on their livelihood and the environment. 

Protestors sat outside Koralaipottu North Divisional Secretariat and blocked its entrance on Monday as they demanded that ilmenite mining be banned and to stop a prawn farm from opening up in the area as both projects would deplete the area of its natural resources. 

A prawn farm is likely to cause water pollution if chemical waste from the farm is discharged into the rivers. The water pollution would then lead to habitat destruction, killing freshwater fish. 

The establishment of a prawn farm would also impact the economic livelihood of residents, particularly those dependent on fishing. If these areas are closed off to fishermen, they will not be able to sustain themselves. 

Enthiran G Arunan, the divisional secretary, met with the protesters and told them that he had not granted permission for these types of activity since assuming office and claimed that he would refrain from doing so in the future. The protestors were assured that a meeting with regional civil society organisations and the divisional secretariat would be held to discuss the issue further. 

In 2019, Tamils in Vakarai also against the acquisition of Tamil land for ilmenite mining.The authorities were attempting to acquire 42 acres from Kathiraveli and 17 acres from Puchchakeni, in the Koralaipattu North Division, in order to build a factory while a further 48 km2 area of land by the beach side of Batticaloa was also to be seized. Four people were later arrested for taking part in the protest.