Under the blanket of darkness, giant trucks rumbled through the narrow roads of Sri Lanka’s Mannar district, their headlights cutting through the night. On their trailers lay colossal white columns and blades longer than a fishing trawler, bound for the island’s windswept northwestern coast. By dawn, word had spread that construction had begun on a new wind farm with 10 massive turbines.

For many locals, this was not progress — it was trespass. Fishermen, farmers and environmental activists renewed their protests, blocking the Mannar Bridge to stop the turbine parts from reaching the island. Their voices reached the capital, Colombo, prompting Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Aug. 13 to order a one-month suspension pending a review of community concerns, which center on environmental impacts.

To read the full story visit https://news.mongabay.com/2025/08/respite-for-now-for-bird-migration-hotspot-at-heart-of-sri-lankas-wind-power-dispute/

Photo credit: Lahiru Walpita