Context:

In the latest development, Sri Lanka cleared the Chinese energy project in three islands off the Jaffna peninsula that are barely 50 km from the Tamil Nadu coast.

About the Project

• Under the project, China will set up hybrid wind and solar energy projects on three Sri Lankan islands off the northern Jaffna peninsula 45 km from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
• Project’s local partner: The energy project’s local partner, the Ceylon Electricity Board.
• Funding: The funds for the project are to come from the Asian Development Bank. The concerned islands
• The islands concerned are Delft Island, Analativu, and Nainativu.
• Delft island, the largest of the three islands, is the closest to Rameswaram, which lies to the island’s southwest.
• Between, Rameswaram and Delft Island, lies the Kachchativu, the tiny island that India ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974.
• The waters around these islands are an area of contest and rivalry between Tamil Nadu and Jaffna fishers. The matter has been on the bilateral agenda for decades.

The development of these projects is concerning for India

• Pulling out of Sri Lanka from some significant deals: Sri Lanka recently pulled out of the East Container Terminal (ECT) deal (2019) with India and Japan at the Colombo port.
• A part of the Chinese ring-fence policy: These developmental proposals in Sri Lanka are viewed as the extension of other Chinese projects in nations such as the Maldives, African Nations, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other nations in the Indian Ocean.