Farmers in Muthu Nagar, Trincomalee, have urged the Sri Lankan government to immediately release agricultural lands seized for a solar energy project.
The disputed lands were acquired by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and handed over to two private companies for solar power generation.
Local residents claim they have cultivated these fields for over 50 years, growing paddy and other crops that sustain their families and the local economy.
Over 100 acres have already been fenced off while farmers warn that up to 800 acres may have been appropriated.
One farmer recalled tending the land for more than 53 years.
Tensions have escalated after farmers accused police of using violence to suppress peaceful protests held on 29 July in front of the Trincomalee District Secretariat.
Community leaders say the loss of farmland threatens to devastate local livelihoods, exacerbate food insecurity, and fuel displacement in a region already burdened by state-backed land acquisitions.
Leave a comment