Great Sandy River
Bleeding mountain.
New roads being cut into the ecologically sensitive Knuckles mountain range in the name of ‘clean’ hydropower.
Projects of this scale permanently alter the flow of wild rivers, displace communities and destroy habitats that support endemic and endangered biodiversity.
New roads being cut into the ecologically sensitive Knuckles mountain range in the name of ‘clean’ hydropower.
Projects of this scale permanently alter the flow of wild rivers, displace communities and destroy habitats that support endemic and endangered biodiversity.
One of the 3,000 families that were forcibly evicted from their ancestral homes due to the construction of a hydropower dam.
Haunting landscapes that have been shaped and transformed by giants walls and water.
Periods of low rainfall exacerbated by effects of the climate crisis reveal old settlements drowned by dams and reservoirs in Central Sri Lanka.
An old classroom resurfaces from the bottom of a reservoir bed that was once submerged by a hydropower dam.
Like the ebb and flow of tides, the rains will arrive and these barren landscapes will be shaped and transformed by the forces of water once again.
As the water recedes, it reveals. Skeletons of once thriving ecosystems remain as the only sign of life that flourished at the bottom of this reservoir bed.
A new resettlement community formed by clearing a large area of natural forest close to a National Park in Sri Lanka that is linked to surrounding forests. Elephants and other wildlife used to inhabit this forested area and use it as natural corridor.
An aerial view of a reservoir bed during
a drought in Central Sri Lanka. The patterns, squares and lines are all that remain of the once thriving town of Teldeniya.
a drought in Central Sri Lanka. The patterns, squares and lines are all that remain of the once thriving town of Teldeniya.
Development projects in ecologically sensitive areas often open up these regions to the growth of collateral industries such as logging and mining.
Fishermen at the Senanayake Samudra —the largest reservoir in Sri Lanka. Skeletons of trees that once belonged to a forest are all that remain here today.
The sandy banks of the Mahaweli river offer places of recreation and refuge. Downstream of the headwaters, as the river meanders through the low lying landscapes of Mahiyanganaya, families congregate to bathe, wash their clothes, and socialise.
We are the architects of our own demise. Humans are witnessing an era of endangered landscapes; those under threat from misguided policy and planning, from ‘green’ energy development tropes, and from the climate crisis.
When was the last time you saw a wild river roaring through a landscape?
Today, most of our rivers carve through lofty peaks and valleys only to be silenced by a giant
wall. Further downstream, tributaries are reduced to a trickle. Some shrivel up, and die.
The Mahaweli, meaning 'Great Sandy River', is the longest and most revered river in Sri
Lanka. Over decades, the river has been exploited, choked, and dammed for energy and
irrigation of crops. Dams have a massive impact on a river's ecosystems, permanently
altering the shape of the river and displacing communities from their ancestral lands.
Resettlement of communities, deforestation, and loss of endemic wildlife and plants are just
some of the knock-on effects.
This photo series focuses on the central region of Sri Lanka and explores the paradox of
hydropower dams to shed light on their hidden costs. The story follows the Mahaweli to
examine the impact of dams and their downstream consequences on the environment,
ecology, and communities that live along the river.
As the climate crisis intensifies, investing in clean sources of energy is critical. If we are to
safeguard the free flowing rivers we have left and work towards a healthier future for our
planet, we must ask important questions and find sustainable ways to co-exist in the future.
This project won the Visura Grant for Visual Journalists and has been exhibited at the
'Humanity and Earth' group exhibition by the Goethe Institut in Colombo (2020) and Jaffna
(2023) as well as the 'Total Landscaping' exhibition by the Museum of Modern and
Contemporary Art in Colombo (2025).
Public Project
Great Sandy River