Mullaitivu taken by storm:

Development trudges through the floods

By Mohammed Naalir reporting from Mullaitivu

The displaced people in Wellimullivaikkal School.

Flood affected area.

Displaced people in Wellimullivaikkal.

The adverse weather has wreaked havoc in the Mullaitivu district causing several displacements and affecting thousands of people.

Five hundred and forty three families, with 1,841 persons have been displaced in the Mullaitivu district as a result of the inclement weather. Altogether 6,694 families with 23,056 persons have been affected.

The armed forces have been kept in vigil to carry out relief work and rescue the people affected. The displaced have been housed in schools, religious places and common buildings, and are being provided with cooked meals three times a day. Food is being supplied to the displaced through the relevant Divisional Secretariat offices.

The Mullaitivu Government Agent, Nagalingam Vethanayakam said, "the Mullaitivu district experienced heavy showers with heavy velocity winds for three consecutive days. The gravity of the wind and rains declined by Wednesday. Puthukudiyiruppu, Kokkilai, Maritimepattu, Thunukkai, Oddusuddan and Manthai East Divisional Secretariat Divisions have been affected by the inclement weather".

He said the recently resettled people in the Puthukudiyiruppu Divisional Secretariat Division have also been affected due to the adverse weather conditions. There were nearly 4,000 families in the area. At a time when basic facilities for them were to be developed the floods have hit them. Less than two months have lapsed since they were resettled. Now, they have become victims of floods, the Mullaitivu GA said.

The number of displaced persons would have increased if the weather conditions worsened. Fortunately, the gravity of the rains and the wind reduced. During the past three days the velocity of the wind was high, Vethanayakam said.

"We have instructed the people living in low lying areas to be vigilant and to relocate to safe places if the situation became worse. Model training programs have also been conducted on how to escape from sudden disaster," the GA said.

"We have enough human resources. The armed forces have been kept in vigil round the clock to help us with the relief work. No property damage has been reported but the freshly sowed paddy fields have been destroyed. The crop destruction has been estimated to nearly 500 acres.

"Even though the district was affected by the floods, it did not hamper the normal life of the dwellers.

"Even amidst the floods, development work is progressing smoothly. Mullaitivu which remained a ghost city is turning into a gateway of development. Road and other infrastructure development works continued amidst the heavy rains.

"Mullaitivu district is well-known for prawn breeding and jack fruit. The district is returning to its normal course of life gradually. The Government has paid special attention to the development of the Northern and Eastern provinces", the GA said.

According to the Mullaitivu Disaster Management Centre:

One hundred and twelve families displaced from the Kokkilai West Divisional Secretariat Division have been housed in the Kokkilai Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya; 101 families from Kokkilai East have been housed in the Kokkilai Sindhatthirai Matha Church; 25 families from Mullivaikkal East have been housed in Mullivaikkal GTMS, and 20 families from Ambalavan Pokkanai have been housed in the Ambalawanpokkanai Maha Vidyalaya.

Forty families have been affected in the Kombavil in Puthukudiyiruppu Divisional Secretariat Division; 71 families displaced from Manduvil have been housed in the Manduvil Arasaratnam Vidyalaya, 64 families from Mallikaitivu have been housed in a common building, five families from Aanandapuram have been housed in the Aaanandapuram school, 6 families from Thirumurukandy Grama Niladari Division have been housed in the Thirumurukandy School and 54 families displaced from Mandhai East Grama Niladari Division have been housed in the Sirattikulam school.

3,711 families totalling 13,258 persons have been affected in the Puthukudiyiruppu Divisional Secretariat Division, 225 families comprising 797 persons have been displaced, and 1,124 families comprising 3,510 persons have been affected by the adverse weather. Six families with 22 persons have been displaced and 858 houses partly damaged in the Oddusuddan Divisional Secretariat Division.

Seven hundred and thirty two families comprising 2,336 persons have been affected in Manthai Divisional Secretariat Division, and 704 families comprising 2,618 persons have been affected in Thunukkai Divisional Secretariat Division.

Mullivaikkal, Ambalavan Pokkanai Grama Niladari V. Arunothayam said 89 families comprising 169 persons displaced from Mullivaikkal have been housed in the Mullivaikkal School, and are being provided with cooked food. Public Health Inspectors visit this camp from time to time and inquire into the health conditions of the people located in the camp. The Health authorities have also been kept in vigil to prevent the spread of Dengue.

He said Samaposha packets have been distributed to children in the camp. Sritharan MP who visited the camp distributed Anchor milk food packets to the displaced people.

Grama Niladari Arunothayam said statistics of the affected families are being compiled. If the people wish to remain in the camps until the weather improves, they would be provided with all facilities, including food. If they wish to return to their homes, they could do so. The Mullaitivu MOH Office has also provided the required medicines".

Kumaraswamy Kanagamany displaced from Mullivaikkal South and staying in the Wellimullivaikkal School, said displacement has become a normal occurrence in these areas as they are prone to floods during the heavy rainy seasons.

She said they are yet to get a temporary house. We were affected by both the tsunami and the conflict. The government should take steps to provide temporary houses immediately and implement a permanent housing scheme for us thereafter.

When the weather became bad we were evacuated from our homes and housed in the Wellimullivaikkal School. There is a shortage of drinking water as the wells are contaminated with flood water. The authorities should take immediate steps to clean the wells in the flood affected areas if an epidemic threat is to be averted.

Unfortunately robbers make use of the opportunity and rob the houses where people are not in residence. So, we have deployed some people in the flooded areas to protect our belongings, she said.

The temporary houses have been washed away completely by the floods. There is no electricity in the flooded areas, Kanagamany said.

P. Samathanam, another resident in the Wellimullivaikkal School said there were no toilets, roads nor electricity.

She said there are no preschools for the kids. The Government should take steps to provide these facilities and set up preschools in proper locations considering the future of our children.

Residing in temporary houses is not possible forever. We need permanent houses to bring up our children. As we are living in low lands, it gets flooded when it rains continuously for three days. The Government should take steps to solve our problems.