Further study on impact of Mannar wind-power project proposed

The environmental impact assessment report for a proposed 34-turbine wind power plant to be built by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in Mullikulam, Mannar, has proposed a further one-year study to gauge the project’s impact on the area’s rich bird population, particularly migratory species.

The EIA was conducted by the Sri Lanka Program for Forest Conservation for the CEB’s Project Division. One of the main negative impacts arising from wind farms is its impact on avifauna such as birds and bats leading to death and injury, it states.

“The effects of a wind farm on avifauna are highly variable and depend on a wide range of factors including the specification and layout of the turbines, the topography of the surrounding land, the habitats affected, and the number and density of avifaunal species present in the area,” it points out. “Thus, the impact of wind farms on avifauna is site specific.”

The selected project site supports “a rich avifaunal assemblage comprising of 83 species”--including 74 species that are listed as breeding residents. The remaining nine are winter visitors.

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/221204/news/mannar-wind-power-project-may-be-delayed-due-to-impact-on-birds-504356.html