Food and shelter for displaced at Silawatura

by Anura Maitipe

The Government will provide food, shelter and sanitary facilities to the displaced families at Silawatura in the Mannar district with the help of the Armed Forces and Non Governmental Organisations, Minister of Re-Settlement and Disaster Relief Services, Risath Bathiyutheen told the 'Sunday Observer' .

Over 2,112 families who lived in Mannar, Silawatura, Arrippu and Musali were provided with temporary shelter at schools in the Murugan and Nainatan areas. Of these families, 1,330 families have been provided with shelter at the Nainatan school and another 812 at the Don Bosco school in Murugan, he said.

People were provided with cooked meals and other requirement by the Government with the help of Non Governmental Organisations engaged in rehabilitation work in the area, the Minister said.

The Armed Forces will remove landmines and booby traps planted by the LTTE in the area to re-settle displaced families in their native places and this task will be completed within the next few weeks, he said.

Over 60 kilometres of the Puttalam-Mannar road which had been under LTTE control for the past 20 years have also been liberated by the Armed Forces.

This road will be re-opened for the use of public within the next few weeks, he said. The Government has also deployed a special boat service between Mannar and Arrippu for the convenience of people till the main road is opened.