Agriculture and fisheries have much potential:

Mannar's economic indicators positive, encouraging

By P. Krishnaswamy

Many of the Government's far-reaching programs to provide infrastructure to the Mannar district and make it the main hub of agriculture and fisheries once again have been completed and the district is bustling with much activity, four years after the elimination of terrorism.

Seeduvinayagarkulam – agricultural activities

A farmer’s home garden

With the railway lines already restored up to the Madhu Road from Medawachchi under the Government of India program, train services are anticipated to recommence beginning with the Madhu Church festival in the first week of next month. The A 32 Mannar-Jaffna highway and the Mannar-Puttalam highway are now being concreted and are expected to be completed early next year.

A majority of the population of the district was displaced and virtually every family suffered loss of life, life-threatening injuries and property loss in the terrorism-ravaged district, but life has returned to normalcy with people having returned to their traditional professions, mainly agriculture and fishing. Economic indicators and crop yield potential are positive and encouraging, according to authoritative Government Secretariat sources.

Major projects, fund allocations and the stages of the implementation process are given below as provided by the District Secretariat, Mannar: As on January 31, 2013, 5,766 families consisting of 22,549 persons have been resettled in Mannar town.

Families numbering 538 were issued the Rs. 5,000 grant, 288 families issued the Rs.20,000 grant and 2,923 families issued the UNHCR non-food items. Families numbering 1,196 consisting of 4,398 persons have been resettled in the Nanattan division with 232 families issued the Rs.5,000 grant, 65 families issued the Rs. 20,000 grant and 849 families issued the UNHCR non-food items.

Over 6,964 families consisting of 28,662 persons have been resettled in the Musali division with 1,603 families issued the Rs. 5,000 grant, and 4,002 families issued the UNHCR non-food items. More than 6,753 families consisting of 24,561 persons have been resettled in the Manthai West division with 3,784 families issued the Rs. 5,000 grant, 3,662 families issued the Rs. 20,000 grant and 4,698 families issued the UNHCR non-food items. Over 2,733 families consisting of 9,669 persons have been resettled in the Madhu division with 1,072 families issued the Rs. 5,000 grant, 1,041 families issued the Rs. 20,000 grant and 1,719 families issued the UNHCR non-food grant.

Housing, education

A multitude of projects on housing, educational development, improvement of roads, provision of infrastructure, water supply and sanitation, improvement of minor irrigation facilities and rehabilitation of small tanks are under implementation. Over 13,415 families consisting of 150,721 persons have been issued agricultural implements; 10,904 families consisting of 64,000 persons have been issued roofing sheets and 64,000 cement bags have been issued to 8,000 families for the construction of houses.

Over a 400 sq.Km area in the district had been planted with landmines and almost 100 percent mine clearing has been completed in all residential areas of the five divisions while about 20 percent is yet to be cleared in livelihood areas where the mine clearing work is in progress.

A 21.36 sq.km area is yet to be cleared as at May 7, 2013.

Thevanpiddy water supply scheme

Ongoing water supply project – from Chemmantivu, Murungan to Mannar

A sum of Rs. 8,589.90 million was allocated under the Consolidated District Annual Implementation Program (CDAIP) of which Rs.4,730.24 million has been the expenditure until end of December 2012. Under the same program, Rs. 3,963.38 million was allocated for various projects including provincial irrigation, road development, housing, palmyrah development, Local Government bodies, Pura Neguma, land use planning, animal production and health and Emergency Northern Recovery Project (ENReP) of which an expenditure of Rs. 2231.58 million occurred up to the end of December 2012.

Another Rs. 3,726.93 million was allocated under the CDAIP project for social services, for the kachcheri building, agriculture, housing, road development, disaster management, development of industries, religious affairs, electricity, ADB projects and fisheries and aquatic development.

The total amount allocated under the CDAIP program for these projects and several other projects is Rs. 44,730.33 million.

For education-related development, an amount of Rs.111.09 million was allocated for 86 projects in the Mannar Educational Zone of which Rs. 76.86 million has been the expenditure up to end of December 2012. Forty three projects have been completed and the others are in the process of being completed.

The funding is from the Education and Knowledge Society Project (EKSP), North East Community Restoration Development (NECORD), decentralised budget and Provincial Specific Development Grant (PSDG).

Another Rs. 42.62 million for 46 projects on educational development was allocated of which Rs. 30.37 million was used for completing the projects.

An amount of Rs. 1,903.92 million was allocated for road development on 39 projects and Rs. 1,240.28 million has been used until end of December 2012 with the completion of 29 projects. The other projects are in the process of being completed.

Rs. 138.24 million was allocated for 10 housing projects of which Rs. 54.13 million has been utilised up to end of December, completing eight projects. Funding is from the Janasevana Viru Gammana program, Janasevana Scattered Program, Janasevana Upahara, Janasevana Sasunen Sevana and the Pesalai 100 Housing Program.

Palmyrah development

Rs. 2.45 million was allocated for palmyrah development. For Local Government bodies in the district, Rs. 40.03 million was allocated. Another Rs. 471.80 million was allocated for the same purpose - Puraneguma Stage I, Puraneguma Stage II and Puraneguma State III. Of a total of 48 projects, 17 have so far been completed at an expenditure of Rs. 162.48 million. An amount of Rs. 67.23 million was allocated for 12 irrigation (provincial) projects and the projects were completed at an expenditure of Rs. 51.40 million.

The funding is from the Northern PC and the Pro-poor Economic Advancement and Community Enhancement Project (PEACE). A total of Rs. 1,152.38 million was allocated by the Ministry of Economic Development for minor irrigation, medium irrigation, land development, water supply and sanitation, roads and strengthening of the district administration. One project has been completed up to end of December 2012 at an expenditure of Rs. 566 million and work on completing the other projects is in progress.

Rs.70.89 million was allocated for 31 agricultural promotion projects under the Department of Agriculture (Extn.) programs and 30 projects have been completed at an expenditure of Rs. 55.45 million. Rs. 211.67 million was allocated for 28 projects of the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs and Rs. 147.32 million was used up to end of December 2012 for completing 25 projects.

Under the Indian Government's housing program, 693 houses were completed under Stage -1, about 8,636 houses were completed under Stage 11 and 4,698 houses were completed under Stage III.

Of the 22 projects of the Regional Director of Health Services at an allocation of Rs.94.41 million, 15 projects have been completed at the end of December 2012 at an expenditure of Rs. 82.77 million. Another Rs. 706.27 million was allocated by the Ministry of Economic Development for major irrigation, minor irrigation, field and export crop development, large and medium-scale industries, community resource development, water supply and sanitation, roads and livelihood activities.

Over 146 projects have been completed at an expenditure of Rs. 394.69 million and work on the other projects is continuing. Rs.147.90 million was allocated for 21 road development projects and four projects have been completed at an expenditure of Rs. 28.47 million.

Rs. 29.03 million was allocated for 31 projects of the Disaster Management Unit and 11 projects have been completed at an expenditure of Rs. 17.23 million. Rs. 747.39 million was allocated for 121 projects of the Ceylon Electricity Board under fund allocations from the Gama Neguma and Vadakkin Vasantham programs and 95 percent of the work has been completed.

Water and sanitation

Under the ADB-assisted fifth Dry Zone Urban Water and Sanitation Project implemented by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, an amount of Rs. 1682.04 million was allocated for seven projects. Fifty percent of the projects have already been completed.

For 13 projects on large and medium-scale industries, water supply and sanitation, roads and strengthening of the district administration funded by the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Rs. 28.09 million was allocated and the projects have been completed at an expenditure of Rs. 25.63 million.

An amount of Rs. 29.73 million was allocated for six road development projects under ADB funding and the projects have been completed. Under funding from the Divi Neguma program, Rs. 738.11 million was allocated for eight District Planning Secretariat projects and three projects have been completed while work on the other projects are in progress.

Twenty projects on distribution of kerosene stamps and relief stamps under the Samurdhi program were implemented at an expenditure of Rs. 27.07 million.

Allocations were also made for the improvement of the divisional secretariats. While these are the salient features of major development projects in the district, more money was allocated, mainly by the Ministry of Economic Development, for other projects.