Sri Lanka Supreme Court sets Oct 14 for Adani wind power projects case

Sri Lanka's Supreme Court on Friday set October 14 as the date for the hearing of five fundamental rights petitions filed against the wind power plant undertaken by the Indian conglomerate Adani Group in the north-eastern region of Mannar.

The three-member bench of the apex court here ordered the respondents to file objections before September 13.

Environmental NGOs had filed petitions claiming that the project endangers biodiversity and poses a threat to migratory birds.

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society filed the case, naming the government, the Board of Investment and the Central Environmental Authority among others as respondents.

The environmental rights group had claimed in court that a decision by the Cabinet to treat the Adani wind power project as a Sri Lanka-India government-to-government venture was illegal and that it would cause immense damage to the migratory bird population causing environmental hazards.

The group had also challenged the action by Minister of Environment Pavithra Wanniarachchi to exclude the Mannar district's Viddathalathivu area from being a forest reserve, an action taken to facilitate the project.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had originally on June 18 given Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, the Cabinet and the Adani Group three weeks to file preliminary objections to the petition.

In May, the government approved a 20-year power purchase agreement with Adani Green Energy to develop 484 MW wind power stations in Sri Lanka.

These renewable energy projects entail two wind energy projects; a 250 MW in the north-eastern district of Mannar and a 234 MW project at Pooneryn in the north. The total investment is proposed to be $ 750 million.

The Sri Lanka government has said the Adani group investment was vital to achieving its target of 70 per cent of its power needs to renewable energy sources by 2030.