A Festival of Culture and Economic Opportunity

The annual Nallur Kandaswamy Temple festival remains one of the most significant religious and cultural events in Sri Lanka. During August and September, Jaffna welcomes thousands of devotees, domestic tourists and members of the Tamil diaspora from around the world.

This influx brings considerable economic benefits to the Northern Province. Hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, transport operators, retailers and small businesses all benefit from the increased activity. It also demonstrates the enormous potential of religious and cultural tourism to support the future economic development of Jaffna.

However, the latest festival season has also exposed serious weaknesses in the city’s basic infrastructure. Many hotels and other accommodation facilities were reportedly operating at or near full capacity. Numerous visitors and members of the diaspora complained about poor cleanliness, inadequate public toilets, blocked and polluted drains, irregular garbage collection and improper wastewater disposal.

These concerns must not be dismissed as minor complaints from visitors. They represent a warning about a potentially serious environmental and public-health crisis.

Jaffna’s Groundwater Is at Risk

Unlike many other regions, the Jaffna Peninsula does not have abundant rivers or surface-water resources. A large proportion of its population continues to depend on groundwater for drinking, cooking, domestic use and agriculture.

This groundwater is stored within a shallow limestone aquifer that is particularly vulnerable to contamination. Most houses, hotels, restaurants and commercial properties are not connected to a central sewerage network. Instead, they rely on septic tanks, soakage pits, closed pits or, in some cases, inadequately constructed open systems.

When wells and sewage-disposal systems are located too close together, particularly on small and densely occupied properties, human waste can seep into the groundwater. Poorly constructed or overflowing septic tanks create an even greater danger.

Previous scientific studies in the Jaffna Peninsula have identified nitrate pollution and bacterial contamination in samples collected from wells. Researchers have also raised concerns about wastewater entering storm-water drains, canals and groundwater-recharging ponds.

This does not mean that every well in Jaffna is contaminated, however, it clearly demonstrates that the danger is real and that urgent, independent water testing is necessary. Once a groundwater aquifer becomes widely polluted, restoring it can be extremely difficult, expensive and sometimes impossible. Preventing contamination is therefore far more effective than attempting to repair the damage later.

Tourism Cannot Grow Without Sanitation

Jaffna has enormous potential to become an important destination for religious, cultural, heritage, wellness and diaspora tourism. Nallur, the Jaffna Fort, the Public Library, Keerimalai, Casuarina Beach, Nagadeepa, Delft Island and the region’s unique food and cultural traditions could attract visitors throughout the year.

However, tourism cannot be developed successfully through hotels, festivals and promotional campaigns alone. Visitors also expect clean streets, safe drinking water, hygienic food, properly maintained toilets, efficient garbage collection and a healthy environment.

When tourists return home complaining about unhygienic conditions, the damage extends beyond one hotel or one local authority. It affects the reputation of the entire Northern Province.

Diaspora visitors are emotionally connected to Jaffna, but that relationship should not be taken for granted. They are also potential investors, donors, business partners and international ambassadors for the region. Their concerns should be heard and addressed constructively.

Immediate Responsibility of the Mayor and Municipal Council

The Mayor of Jaffna and the Jaffna Municipal Council must treat this as an urgent public-health and civic-management priority. The Council should immediately inspect the Jaffna bus stand, markets, hospital precinct, Nallur festival area, public toilets, blocked drains, municipal ponds and locations where wastewater is reportedly being discharged.

Garbage collection, street and drain clearance and public-toilet maintenance must be intensified in areas with heavy public use. Hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, wedding halls and other high-occupancy premises should be required to demonstrate that they have safe water supplies and properly functioning sewage-disposal systems. Records showing the safe removal and disposal of septic waste should also be maintained.

Independent authorities should test public water points, selected wells, ponds and drains for bacterial contamination, nitrate, salinity and other relevant indicators. The results must be published promptly in Tamil, Sinhala and English, together with clear public-health advice.

The Council should also establish a public complaint telephone number through which residents and visitors can report sewage overflows, illegal dumping, blocked drains, unsafe toilets and uncollected garbage. Every complaint should receive a reference number and a response within a specified period.

Tamil Political Parties Must Work Together

This issue must not become another subject of political competition. ITAK, TNPF, DTNA, EPDP, NPP representatives and other political groups should agree on a common programme to protect Jaffna’s water and improve sanitation.

Water, sewage, drainage and garbage collection affect every household regardless of political affiliation. Tamil parties frequently speak about political rights, economic development and the future of the Northern Province. Protecting the population’s drinking water and health must also be recognised as a fundamental right and an essential responsibility of political leadership.

Tamil parliamentarians should jointly request a clear statement from the Government and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board regarding the present status of the Jaffna water-supply and sewerage projects.

The public must be told which components have been completed, which are operational, which have been delayed, how many households will be connected, how much funding remains available and when the full sewerage system will become operational.

A Plan Before the 2027 Nallur Festival

Preparations for the next Nallur festival should begin immediately rather than only a few weeks before the event. The plan should include:

• Adequate temporary and permanent toilets, including facilities for women, elderly people and persons with disabilities
• Handwashing stations with safe water and regular cleaning
• Scheduled septic-tank emptying and safe disposal of collected waste
• Additional garbage bins and more frequent waste collection
• Food-safety and drinking-water inspections for hotels, restaurants and street vendors
• Cleaning teams working before, during and immediately after major processions
• Public information showing toilet locations, transport arrangements, emergency contacts and complaint procedures
• Water-quality testing before, during and after the festival

A post-festival report should then be published explaining the number of visitors, accommodation capacity, waste collected, inspections conducted, complaints received and actions taken.

From Concern to Measurable Action

Jaffna does not need another committee that meets without producing results. Any new water, sanitation and clean-city taskforce must have named officials, published responsibilities, budgets, deadlines and measurable targets.

Progress should be reported publicly every month during the initial emergency period and at least once every three months thereafter.

The longer-term solution must include a properly engineered sewerage network for the most densely populated and commercially active areas. Priority should be given to the hospital precinct, bus stand, markets, Nallur temple, the city centre and major accommodation corridors.

Where a central network cannot be extended immediately, properly designed decentralised wastewater-treatment systems should be considered. However, such systems must include trained operators, regular maintenance, scientific monitoring and secure long-term funding.

A Shared Duty to Protect Jaffna

Increased visitor numbers without adequate sanitation could damage the very city we wish to celebrate and develop. Unclean streets weaken public confidence. Unmanaged garbage damages businesses and the environment. Sewage entering drains and ponds creates disease risks. Contamination of the groundwater could threaten future generations.

The Mayor, Municipal Council, Tamil political parties, government departments, businesses, temple administrations, technical experts and civil society must therefore act together.

Protecting Jaffna’s water and public health is not merely a municipal duty. It is an urgent national responsibility and a fundamental investment in the future of the Northern Province.