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| Sunday, 10 July 2005 |
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Hartals delay tsunami reconstruction by Gamini Warushamana Government officials and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) engaged in the tsunami reconstruction say that frequent civil unrest and disturbances in the Eastern province delays rehabilitation work. Trincomalee District Secretary Gamini Rodrigo said that the Eastern Province is behind the target due to frequent hartals in the province. S. Suriyakumari of the OFERR (Ceylon), a NGO engaged in the construction of transitional houses in Trincomalee, said frequent hartals disturb re-construction work. Foreigners and others engaged in these projects leave the area due to insecurity. In this situation it is difficult to find labour. Labour costs have doubled and today the daily wage of a labourer is Rs.1,200. Competition between NGOs engaged in reconstruction is another reason for high labour costs. Now the implementing agencies have to revise estimates. Material transportation is also disrupted. A day's hartal causes a loss of three working days due to supply disruptions, she said. In the Trincomalee district 9,632 houses were damaged by the tsunami and of them 5,737 are within 200 metre buffer zone. It has been planned to construct 6,795 transitional houses and of them 4,039 have been completed. Another 2,623 are under construction. Suriyakumari said that lack of planning in distribution of relief items by NGOs without proper coordination of local authorities created many problems. Normally in a situation like this relief items are supplied for a maximum period of three months. But even after six months relief items are still being distributed. This discourages people attempting to earn their livelihood and make people depend on others. |
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