A youth-led protest took place in Mannar on Wednesday under the rallying cry ‘Protect Black Soil’, as young people took to the streets to oppose proposed ilmenite mineral sand mining by multinational corporations in the district.
The demonstration, held on 6 August at 10:30 a.m. in the Mannar Bazaar area, comes amid growing concerns over the irreversible environmental damage posed by large-scale extraction projects, particularly those spearheaded by an Australian-based company that has long sought to exploit the district’s ilmenite-rich sands.
Protesters marched through the heart of Mannar town, carrying placards and chanting slogans as they moved from the town circle past the local police station, district hospital road, and public grounds, before returning to their starting point. The procession marked the latest escalation in a rising grassroots campaign determined to halt the destruction of ancestral Tamil lands.
For years, local communities have resisted the encroachment of mining corporations, warning of the dire consequences such projects would have on the environment, livelihoods, and water security. Experts and residents have sounded the alarm that ilmenite mining could result in seawater intrusion into freshwater aquifers within the next decade, potentially devastating farming and drinking water sources across the region.
Although mining operations had previously stalled due to delayed permits, it has now emerged that the Sri Lankan government is preparing to greenlight the project. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submitted by the Australian firm received a favourable response from the Central Environmental Authority, paving the way for permit approvals.
In response, Mannar’s youth have launched a wider awareness campaign to educate the public and resist what they describe as an existential threat to their future. A petition campaign was launched at the protest, with signatures being collected to be delivered to Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, demanding an immediate halt to the project.
Ilmenite mining has become one of the latest flashpoints in the Tamil North-East, where resource exploitation, militarisation, and land grabs continue to threaten the Tamil homeland.