Construction work on the first international cricket stadium to be built in Northern Sri Lanka has been temporarily halted due to the absence of an approved environmental impact assessment.

The project in Mandaitivu, Jaffna, was launched last year with the foundation stone laid by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority, Prof. Tilak Hewawasam, said that instructions had been issued to suspend ongoing construction until the required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is obtained and formal approval granted.

He said the order was issued after it was revealed that environmental clearance had not been secured for the development.

Mandaitivu Island has been identified by environmentalists as an ecologically sensitive zone comprising salt marshes, mudflats, mangroves, seagrass beds and coastal wetlands. The proposed project site is located near the Mandaitivu Mangrove Reserved Forest and within an area classified as highly sensitive under regional planning frameworks.

Environmental groups have previously raised concerns that large-scale construction in the area could disrupt fragile coastal ecosystems and affect biodiversity if adequate safeguards are not implemented.

The stadium is being developed as part of a broader long-term plan to transform Mandaitivu Island into a sports city with international-standard facilities, including a swimming complex, an indoor sports arena, hotels, apartments, shopping complexes and entertainment centres.

The proposed stadium is scheduled to be built in four phases, with the first phase aimed at making the ground and pavilion suitable to host domestic matches. (Newswire)

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