by Arundathie Abeysinghe

Despite being an increasingly popular destination, the number of families living there permanently has fallen from 2,000 to 250. It takes three hours to reach the mainland on boats that transport fish. There is a lack of healthcare facilities, electricity and clean water. The difficult coexistence with tourist activities, which are fundamental to the economy but disrupt the life of the fishing community.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - The island of Battalangunduwa, off the north-western coast of Sri Lanka in the district of Puttalam, is a popular tourist destination, but the number of resident families has fallen from 2,000 to 250 due to the lack of facilities and services.

There is a daily ferry service, but each passenger pays 1,150 rupees (about 3 euro) for a one-way trip of about three hours to Kalpitiya on the mainland, on a cargo ship used to transport fish, without adequate seating and which gives priority to transporting fish rather than people.

Anyone who needs to travel outside the scheduled times must hire a private boat, which is very expensive due to fuel costs, and only a few residents own a boat. Finding clean, drinkable water is also a problem.

Residents are forced to purchase a single 210-litre supply at a time, sold at almost double the price in Kalpitiya. This single supply must meet all their needs: drinking, washing, cooking and cleaning utensils.

The beauty of Battalangunduwa has made it a popular tourist destination, with overnight camping among the most popular activities for visitors to the island.

However, daily life is hard and tiring for the islanders, who are disadvantaged by the lack of transport to the mainland and find it difficult to bring their products to a profitable market.

The lack of vegetation, combined with the shortage of drinking water and the absence of electricity, makes daily life a struggle.

In the past, the island was home to fishing communities who migrated from the mainland during the fishing season and then returned to the mainland without settling permanently on the island.

Over the years, many of them have settled permanently, and even today, fishing remains the main source of livelihood for the few residents of Battalangunduwa.

Transporting the catch to the mainland is one of the biggest challenges on the island, due to limited transport facilities and rough sea conditions. As a result, many fishermen are forced to sell their products to middlemen who come to the island, most often for a fraction of their real value, leaving them trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty.

Michael Aruliah, 58, Arjun Ravichandrarajah, 55, and Neville Sinniah, 51, describe their situation to AsiaNews: ‘Life on the island is difficult due to the dry and arid climatic conditions and the lack of water.

The absence of electricity worsens the situation and the island has never had an adequate energy supply.’ The current government has recently launched a solar energy project to provide electricity to residents.

‘Under this programme, each family is required to pay 35,000 rupees (about 100 euro, ed.) for five solar panels,’ they explain. ‘But for most families here, this amount is well beyond their means, as daily wages are barely enough to meet their basic needs. As a result, most families remain in the dark.’

Another problem afflicting residents is the growth of the tourism industry. There are two main tour operators offering packages to Battalangunduwa, attracting mainly local travellers who camp on the beach.

They arrive by boat at designated campsites and are offered a fish lunch and a barbecue for dinner. Residents are disturbed by loud music and shouting that continues until dawn. ‘However, we have to live with the tourism industry because we know how beneficial it is for the island, as we can sell fish and offer guided tours to visitors,’ residents explain to AsiaNews.

Another important issue is the lack of health facilities: there are no hospitals or doctors. The only medical assistance residents receive comes from a navy camp with limited facilities.

The ferry service makes the situation even more difficult, as the departure from Kalpitiya is at 8:30 a.m., and from Battalangunduwa at 1:30 p.m. In case of serious health problems, people have no choice but to travel almost 32 kilometres to the mainland, paying for an expensive trip in a private boat.