As China sends contaminated fertiliser to Sri Lanka, India steps in to help

As Sri Lanka needed urgent help from India to send fertilisers, New Delhi responded quickly and sent two aircraft loaded with the solutions on November 4. This came after China reportedly sent a ship carrying contaminated organic fertilisers to Colombo. On November 4, Thursday, two Indian Air Force planes carrying 100 tons of Nano Nitrogen liquid fertilisers landed in Colombo, proffering a great help to the neighbouring country. According to the release, the consignments were sent upon the request of the Sri Lankan government.

India send fertiliser upon request of Sri Lankan govt

According to the experts familiar with the developments, the consignments were sent by New Delhi in order to promote organic farming. It is also seen as a critical step by the Indian government to promote friendly diplomatic relationships with Mahinda Rajapaksa amid the deteriorating relations with Beijing. The relation between Colombo further deteriorated after it barred China to offload the consignment carrying 20,000 tonnes of organic fertilisers from Beijing. 

'On the day of #Deepawali, the Festival of Lights,#indianairforce once again brought ray of hope to #SriLanka. Responding to GoSL's call for urgent support in airlifting nano fertilisers from #India,2 @IAF_MCC planes arrived in #Colombo carrying 100 tons of the product today,' Indian High Commission tweeted.

"The deployment was essentially to support the Government of Sri Lanka's initiative towards Organic farming and to expedite the availability of Nano Nitrogen Fertiliser to the Sri Lankan farmers," the High Commission of India in Colombo stated in a press release.

China blacklisted Sri Lanka for declining payment 

While standing on their decision, the Sri Lankan government said their National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) confirmed the sample of fertilisers had been contaminated with bacteria of genus Erwinia, which could cause several plant diseases.

While reacting to the allegations of the Sri Lankan government, China responded sharply and blacklisted the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo and the People's Bank of Sri Lanka for deserting the payment. The bank could not clear dues Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Company Limited as a local court halted any payment to the particular company based in China.

Image: Twitter/@IndiainSL/AP