Northern resettlement in full swing:

Mannar makes the first move

Dhaneshi Yatawara in Mannar

“Yodha Wewa” Pic: Thilak Perera

Resettlement of the IDPs is the government’s prime concern. Along with providing almost all the necessities of these people who got displaced due to LTTE terrorists it is the utmost necessity to concern over these peoples greatest hope of returning home.

No sooner the Security Forces liberated the original lands of these people the Government machinery started rebuilding the areas making them fit for habitation. As a result of hard work and dedication the North is slowing getting resettled.

The resettlement of civilians displaced by LTTE atrocities in the Northern Province was initiated last week at Savariapuram in the Musali DS Division in Mannar.

The Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Ministry together with the line ministries and relevant Government Ministries strictly ensuring that the people are provided with all the basic needs, resettled 122 families comprising over 400 people in their original properties.

‘First of the North’

Mannar district liberated from the LTTE mid last year was being cleared of landmines and was the first region where civilians were being resettled. Demining is being done in the other districts of the north and progressively all displaced civilians would be resettled in their original villages or towns.

Troops attached to the 58 Division of the Sri Lanka Army liberated these areas in Mannar popularly known as the `Rice Bowl’ on June 29, 2008. They captured over 120 square kilometres of land and the historical `Giants Tank’ (`Yodha Wewa’) which is around 23 square kilometres in extent. The `Rice Bowl’ comprises approximately 153 major and minor tanks and irrigation systems.

Extending further

With this victorious task the Government was able to start the foundation work of the resettlement process along with the demining process. The Ministry of Nation Building initiated the ground work for resettlement even when the war was continuing in the northern areas of Mannar along with the demining work.

Registration of the names of families that were to be resettled and providing them with food and non-food essential necessities took place during these initial stages.

Presently, demining is continuing in 15 divisions and in six division the land is cleared of mines.

In addition to the physical resettlement of the displaced people of the North, the Resettlement Ministry was providing the people with means of livelihood development like providing tools for those engaged in carpentry, masonry or motor mechanism or seed material and agricultural implements for those who had cultivated paddy or other crops, Disaster Relief and Resettlement Ministry sources said.

“The Northern resettlement programme will follow the Eastern resettlement programme since the Government resettled more than 200,000 people in the East in a short span of time which was a true success to a developing country like ours,” a Ministry official said.

The Government has provided funds for the people who return to their villages, to repair and renovate their damaged homes. In addition to the assistance to repair or rebuild their original homes, civil administration had also been set up with Grama Nildharis who have been appointed already and police stations set up in these areas.

The massive historic irrigation scheme ‘Yodha Weva’ is also to be rehabilitated at a cost of Rs. 380,000,000 provided by the World Bank and the roads from Medawachchiya to Mannar would also be developed to facilitate the people to bring their agricultural produce to the towns for sale after the irrigation scheme was rehabilitated and cultivation in this region restarts.

According to District Secretariat office statistics in 2006, 19,685 families have been depending on the waters of the `Yodha Wewa’ with an estimated 24,438 acres of arable land area.

The families in Musali who are coming back to their original places of residence are to live in tents provided to them until their homes were repaired and fit for habitation. Needs like cooking utensils will also be provided to all families in the assistance package with sanitation facilities as well.

For our own people

Officially commencing the resettlement activities in the North, the second phase of the national resettlement programme, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP stressed that aid organizations, INGOs and NGOs, should be honest in helping civilians who have fled from the terrorists’ clutches.

Stating that the international agencies are engaged in a futile attempt to create fissures among communities under the pretext of assisting Sri Lanka the Government will not allow international organizations to sow the seeds of disunity and division among communities. The priority is meeting the needs of the people and not personal agendas.

Mannar, in fact, was a significant city of the ancient Sri Lanka as an important trading port apart from its worthiness for its most fertile land and high yields of rice. According to historians who have extensively researched on these ancient areas like Ellawala Medhananda Thera, Mannar is a village located close to the greatest port of the Western coast in the ancient times, the Mahathiththa.

As per the historical records Mahathiththa continued as the chief port of Rajarata at least up to the thirteenth century. It functioned as an important trading point where South Indian traders flourished.

Apart from its economic value, this areas is blessed with one of the fertile lands in this island nation. According to statistics available with the District Secretariat office, in the year 2006 the total Mannar district recorded 47,958 metric tons of paddy harvest in maha season.

The Mannar district is capable of producing a massive yield of paddy harvest and high quality seed paddy. When the people settle down again and start their normal lives and livelihood activities, we will be able to see wonders on this blessed land.

Hopefully in a short period we may see beautiful green paddy fields, when the original owners of this patch of land resettle in these life regaining lands.

Pix: Chaminda Hittetiya