The Talaimannar Pier

A few months ago, I visited Madhu church after an absence of 50 years. The church has been restored by the army, but, in contrast, the area from Anuradhapura to Mannar is in a deplorable state.

The verdant forest is gone. Instead, what is mostly visible on either side of the road are small houses, some mere shacks, sitting in the middle of shrub jungle. Not even a chili plant can be seen near most houses. Some have been abandoned. Poverty and despair haunt the landscape. The usual practice in our country is to fell the trees, sell the wood, put up a shack to claim ownership, and aim for the next piece of forest. Pity the poor animals.

The only commercial activity appears to be cattle herding. However, the splendid railway track and the modern railway stations built with Indian help, do offer much hope.

A thriving ferry service ran between Dhanushkodi on the Indian side and Talaimannar till 1994. (YouTube carries a fascinating video of a Volkswagen van being laboriously loaded on to the ferry.) Today, the dilapidated old pier is a heartbreaking sight. 

But, with some planning, much can be done to revive Mannar's impoverished  economy by restarting the ferry service. South India's population is more than 200 million, and there lies a potential market for Sri Lankan agricultural produce, including eggs and meat, and perhaps garments, too.  Large scale vegetable and poultry farms could generate more employment in the Mannar district. The distance to India is only 27 kilometers, and the much longer, time consuming route through Colombo will be unnecessary. Indian tourists are among the top three arrivals in Sri Lanka, and even travelers from other countries coming through India may prefer a leisurely ferry.

The railway track runs right up to the old pier. Perhaps the local authority of the area could build a new pier, purchase a few modern ferries, and start a service. Billions of dollars have been wasted on an empty airport and a harbor at Hambantota, which we now know were debt traps. The Talaimannar ferry service service could be revived at a fraction of the cost.