India to assist Lanka to repair KKS harbour

Walter JAYAWARDHANA

Sri Lanka has sought the assistance of India to rehabilitate and repair the important Northern harbour of Kankesanturai (KKS).

At a recent meeting at the Indian High Commission in Colombo, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority submitted a list of assistance Sri Lanka expects from her Northern neighbour to make the harbour fully suitable for navigation for her ships.

The KKS harbour was damaged in the tsunami and thereafter due to the security situation the harbour could not be fully restored.

The Sri Lankan Army captured the harbour from LTTE control in 1995 and Security Forces have a heavy presence at the harbour ever since. During the occupation of the land mass by the LTTE, the KKS harbour became an important factor of transportation to the peninsula.

Due to the closeness to the Indian coast, KKS is also considered strategically important to India.

India is also expected to pull out several shipwrecks from the harbour that sank off the KKS coast.

The breakwater of the KKS harbour was severely damaged by the tsunami. Sri Lanka Ports Authority believes india could assist Sri Lanka in dredging the port and repairing the breakwater.