A signature campaign was launched in Mannar this week, calling on Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take immediate steps to reopen the main road linking Mannar to Puttalam via Ilavankulam.
The signature drive was organised by the Action Committee formed to facilitate the reopening of the Mannar–Ilavankulam–Puttalam main road, which lies within the Musali Divisional Secretariat Division. The campaign sought to exert public pressure on the Dissanayake to release the road for civilian use and restore public access along the key transport route.
Organisers stated that the closure of the road has caused long-standing hardship for residents of the Mannar District, restricting mobility and compounding economic difficulties in an already marginalised region. The demand presented through the petition urges Dissanayake to intervene directly and ensure the road is reopened without further delay.
Religious leaders took part in the campaign and added their signatures, emphasising that reopening the road would benefit not only the people of the Mannar District but also the wider population of the Northern Province. They noted that improved access along the Mannar–Puttalam route would ease travel between the North and the South, reducing time, cost, and hardship for civilians.
They further stressed that the impact of the road closure extends beyond the fishing community, affecting all residents of the district. Easier travel, they said, would enable people to access markets, employment opportunities, services, and practical solutions to livelihood-related challenges.
The organising committee announced that all signatures collected during the campaign would be compiled and formally submitted to Dissanayake as a petition from the people of Mannar.
