Residents of a Mannar village are facing land-grab and eviction by Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation.
The 22 families of Kuruvilvaan village have complained to the civil society group, Mannar Citizen’s Committee of having long faced intimidation from department officials, including their homes being trespassed upon, with the ultimate purpose of having their lands grabbed.
Villagers said that despite the land disputes awaiting a decision in the courts, signs have appeared in the village, declaring the land as ‘Giant’s Tank Sanctuary’.
The villagers expressed their fear that they will soon lose their homes as land-grabs have been endemic in Mannar.
See photos on newmannar.com.
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