Mannar

If real, the pearls would have been harvested by pearl divers in the Gulf of Mannar, between present day Sri Lanka and India.

In the northwest of Sri Lanka, India's Adani Group is awaiting regulatory approvals for two wind power projects worth $500m in Mannar region, Sri Lanka's Power Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said in August.

For months, no kerosene was available at all in Mannar as the country's foreign exchange reserves dried up and it was unable to import crude for its refineries.

But families in Mannar are yet to receive any handouts, Cruz said.

Chandranayaka also said 60 percent of Mannar's needs were now being met after kerosene supplies resumed but there could a further shortfall in high fishing season later in the year when the demand for fuel surges.