Save Mannar

#savemannar #prajaabhilashanetwork 🛑 Save Mannar Island – Stop Sand Mining Now! 🛑 Join our two‑day (06 and 07 of August ),peaceful protest and sign our postcards to demand justice! 🌊 Environmental Impacts Mannar Island is ecologically fragile: home to migratory birds on the Central Asian Flyway, mangroves that support fisheries, and coastal ecosystems vital for local livelihoods . Heavy limonite and mineral sand mining by Titanium Sands Ltd. and its affiliates threatens groundwater systems—drilling up to 12 m deep has already compromised fresh water and risked increased salinity, potentially submerging over 60% of the island . Loss of biodiversity, erosion of soil fertility, and irreversible damage to coral reefs in the Gulf of Mannar are serious risks . 👥 Social & Livelihood Impacts Over 70,000 residents—particularly women‑headed households, fisherfolk, salt producers, coconut and palmyrah workers—depend on land and sea for sustenance; mining threatens their existence . Displacement has been occurring: thousands have been temporarily uprooted, and locals fear permanent loss of ancestral lands . Communities allege land grabs facilitated by company-linked brokers, often bypassing legal approvals or land rights . 🏛️ Political, Governance & Cultural Concerns The project is backed by powerful bodies including the Geological Survey, Board of Investment, and Central Environmental Authority—often sidelining community approval and transparency . Just recently, police obtained a court restraining order against ten Tamil leaders (lawyers, priests) organizing protests—reflecting suppression of civic dissent . Locals view this as a continuation of militarisation and systemic marginalisation in the North‑East, with unfulfilled promises on land return and demilitarisation post‑war . 📣 What You Can Do 1. Attend the two‑day protest marches to show solidarity. 2. Sign a protest postcard demanding: Immediate halt to all sand‑mining and exploration Protection of freshwater sources and coastal ecosystems Respect for land ownership and return of disputed land Full environmental impact assessment with public disclosure Legal accountability and reinstatement of protest rights 3. Share this post widely to raise national and global awareness. 4. Use the hashtag #SaveMannarIsland #StopSandMining #ProtectOurFuture > “Sand‑mining in Mannar is an existential threat to our island—but we refuse to let our home be stolen. Freshwater wells are salinising, our fishers and farmers are losing livelihoods, and wildlife is vanishing. We demand transparency, justice, and respect for our rights. Join our peaceful protest and sign the postcard. The future of Mannar belongs to its people.”