Chunnakam Power Plant ordered to restart operations and pay compensation to residents

Colombo (News 1st): The Supreme Court today (April 4) ordered the Northern Power Company Ltd (operators of the Chunnakam power plant) to pay compensation of Rs. 20 million to residents who were affected by the Chunnakam Thermal Power Station in Jaffna. The Supreme Court ordered the company to pay a maximum of Rs. 40,000 as compensation to a family. The National Water Supply and Drainage Board was ordered to supervise the hand-over of compensation. Northern Power Company Ltd was ordered by the court to continue operations of the power plant under the stipulated conditions and in a manner that does not harm the environment. The order was issued by Justices Priyantha Jayawardena, Prasanna Jayawardena, and LTB Dehideniya after taking into consideration a petition filed by Environmentalist Dr Ravindra Kariyawasam on behalf of the Centre for Environmental and Nature Studies. The petition filed in 2015 points out that the oil and grease released by the power-plant contaminates the water in wells located in the local areas. On January 31st 2016, the Supreme Court taking the petition into consideration issued an interim injunction suspending the operations of the power plant. Former Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council C.V. Wigneswaran, the NPC and the Attorney General among others were named as respondents in the case.