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Work resumes on new Kachchativu church as ‘weather clears’
View(s):Reconstruction of the new church in Kachchativu with the support of the Sri Lanka Navy, which was suspended recently (the Sunday Times May 15), has recommenced.
The Navy said in a statement issued this week that construction work had been temporarily suspended due to the inclement weather and, with the improvement in the weather, the Navy had dispatched a craft with the necessary building material and water to the island 43 nautical miles away.
The statement added that, the project was not suspended due to Indian concerns of a naval facility being built on the islet, as reported by the newspaper.
Navy Commander Ravindra Wijegunaratne was quoted in the SundayTimes of May 15, saying that construction work had been suspended until the issues were resolved. He denied a naval facility was being built and that a new church was being built on a request by the Bishop of Jaffna, to accommodate more pilgrims from India and Sri Lanka during the annual feast on the islet.
Earlier, the Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarap admitted his government had sought clarification through its High Commission in Colombo, over reports that the Navy was likely to install a naval detachment on Kachchativu.