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| Sunday, 6 March 2005 |
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Tsunami victims want safe settlements before rains by Jayantha Sri Nissanka Tsunami victims urge authorities to settle them in safe temporary settlements before the rains start. Meteorologist S.H. Kariyawasam predicts that Inter Monsoon rains will commence in third week of this month and continue till end of April. Thereafter, South West Monsoon will come in end of May with thunder showers. Thousands of victims are still languishing in canvass huts donated by various donor agencies and Government authorities after they were removed from schools and temples. Of them only some victims have been resettled in safe settlements in safe areas. Victims who are living in canvass huts fear that their huts will fly in the air in strong winds during the monsoon. They also complain that they find it difficult to live during the day time in huts due to unbearable heat. A victim M. Kapila who is settled at the Patabadimulla cemetery in Ambalangoda with other 15 families as they could not find a land to put up their huts said "monsoon will be another disaster for tsunami families unless we are provided with alternative accommodation. Canvass huts will either flood in rainy water or fly in the strong wind". The Surveyor General's Department is still conducting perimeter surveys. Until last week they have completed surveying about 2000 acres and another 3000 acres are being surveyed. When contacted Surveyor General B.J.P. Mendis said that they will prepare perimeter plans soon for remaining lands for the Urban Development Authority to prepare settlement plans. Deputy Director General of UDA Nihal Fernando said that already 20 Memorandums of Understanding have been signed with 20 donors to build about 950 permanent housing units. "Another 50 settlement plans will be concluded in two weeks to sign MoUs with donors", he said. Each single storey housing unit is built with 500 square foots space. When asked how many houses are required for the victims he said about 70,000 units. Fernando said that already 200 to 300 sites have been identified for the construction of housing units for displaced persons. |
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