The Supreme Court has ordered that a Fundamental Rights petition filed seeking an order to prevent alleged illegal mineral mining on Mannar Island be called on February 10, 2026 for consideration.
The petition was filed by a group including Father Santiago Marcus, the Chairman of the Environmental Justice Center and Mannar Citizens’ Committee along with a group.
The petition was called before a bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Sampath Abeykoon today (13).
The bench ordered that the petition be called on February 10, 2026 for confirmation of the facts.
The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, its Director General, the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management, the Mannar Divisional Secretary, the Central Environmental Authority and the Attorney General have been named as respondents in the petition.
The petitioners claim that they have received information that licenses have been issued for mineral mining activities in the Mannar Island area.
The petitioners stated that the area in question contains mineral deposits of significant value unique to Sri Lanka, and emphasized that the issuance of mining licenses without conducting a proper tender process is in violation of the law.
The petitioners further highlighted that this practice could allow foreign companies, through their local representatives, to extract and export the minerals without adding appropriate value, potentially resulting in substantial economic losses for the country.
The petitioners have urged the court to determine that the fundamental human rights of the people have been violated and to issue an order invalidating any mineral mining licenses that were granted without adhering to the proper legal procedures.
Additionally, the petition seeks a directive requiring the Central Environmental Authority to conduct an environmental assessment of the area before any mining activities commence, and calls for the Geology and Mines Bureau to be instructed to halt the issuance of new licenses for the said mining projects.
