Lost opportunities
An opportunity to enrich the country’s economy in general, and the Jaffna economy in particular, appears to have had been lost due to the seeming cautiousness of the authorities.
Dr. Kavan Ratnatunge, an astro-physicist, told The Sunday Leader that the closure of the A9 road to traffic dissuaded tourists wishing to see an eclipse of the sun on January 15 of next year visible from Jaffna, from visiting the island.
They will however be flocking to Maldives, South India, Mauritius and Seychelles to witness this phenomenon as a result, he said.
The eclipse will be visible in the island for the longest period from Jaffna, a total of 10 minutes. Known as an annular eclipse, it will be seen only from the northern parts of the country, beginning from Puttalam.
Sri Lanka last witnessed a solar eclipse 54 years ago in 1955.
Permission from the Defence Ministry has to be got for non Jaffna citizens to travel on the A 9 highway that links Jaffna with the rest of the island.
Ratnatunge had brought it to the notice of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. But they had told him that the opening of the A9 road for free travel was out of their hands.
It’s with the Defence Ministry, they had told him.
Tourists have therefore chosen to visit neigbouring countries to witness the event, added Ratnatunge. Thus a golden opportunity to advertise Jaffna is lost, he said.
“Though the air route to Jaffna is open, no tourist would want to pay U.S. $ 200 for an air ride to Jaffna,” said Ratnatunge.
The A9 is open to only Jaffna citizens and that too for travel only at night, he alleged.
This was despite the boast that after the war end the authorities said that the A 9 would be opened in weeks, alleged Ratnatunge.
“Six months after the war end the road is not yet open, so tourists have made other arrangements to witness the eclipse,” he said.
Forget about foreigners, locals will flock to Jaffna once the A9 is opened, added Ratnatunge.
A good example is the number of locals flocking to the East after the war end, he said. However, another detriment to tourism vis-à-vis the solar eclipse phenomenon, are rumours that elections will be held in January, he said.
Jaffna was liberated in December 1995 but the A9 was virtually closed as the road came under L.T.T.E. control then.
Reporters used to be taken on tour to Jaffna when the war was on by plane.
However with the total elimination of terrorism in May of this year, the whole island, including the A9 highway, is now under Colombo’s jurisdiction.
Business Editor’s Note: In a seemingly ambiguous statement, Friday’s dailies, quoting the Information Department, have imputed that “some” forms of travel restrictions on travel on A9 have been relaxed.
