Now open to visitors after the dawn of peace, Point Pedro is the northernmost town of the island of Sri Lanka, located on the tip of the country. Christened by the Portugese, the agriculturally fertile land surrounding Point Pedro consists of calcic red latosols and is renowned for its cotton production. The eastern coast of Point Pedro is a 3-mile-broad beach with huge sand dunes (regosols) that can reach up to 100 feet in height, extending up all the way to Thalayady spanning a length of 20 miles.
The porous regosols region with a deep ground water table has a billion litres of fresh water supply which can supply the part of Jaffna. The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 caused a dramatic impact by raising the salt content of the ground water.
The sea wiped out parts of the town and sea water stayed there for up to 4 feet in height.
The town has been back under government control since 1995 after the Sri Lankan Army recaptured it from the LTTE.
Point Pedro Harbour might be small but it is controlled to this day by the Sri Lanka armed forces where the public is allowed to fish under close supervision.
The Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project expected to be built soon will no doubt increase the productivity of the Point Pedro Harbour and the enlargement of the harbour will bring benefits to Sri Lanka.
The nearby Vallipuram (Sandy City) Temple was a complex of Hindu-Buddhist temples on Angkor Wat model and was a visiting place for Chinese and Indonesian vessels. There are also many Catholic churches built around Point Pedro along the coasts and in Nelliady
Read more
