February 29 D-Day

No respite for agitating Kajeemawatta settlers as the UDA sticks to its ouster deadline:

by Ranil Wijayapala

Premasiri in 239 Watta

Fahim and his family

As Colombo experienced a sudden downpour on February 25 with an islandwide blackout, which brought everything to a standstill, the people of Kajeemawatta, Thotalanga had a different battle to confront.

When the country was groping in the dark for a considerable time, residents of Kajeemawatta had to run to protect their remaining belongings in the partially destroyed shelters, from the sudden down pour.

The mud oozing between the toes did not deter them from trying to protect whatever that was remaining from the heavy downpour, as the D-Day approaches for them to vacate their homes. The Urban Development Authority had given them time till February 29 to move out.

Whilst others were busy protecting their belongings in their partially destroyed shelters, Rohana, a resident from the area had a different task to attend to. He wanted to ensure the remains of his mother lying in her partially destroyed house was secured from the rain as he had no other place to keep the coffin.

His hopes to conduct the final rites of his mother in the open space in front her partially destroyed house was dashed due to the torrential rains. He was then compelled to hold the last rites before the lapse 24 hours with the support of neighbours and a Bhikkhu in the area.

Somawathie, the 75- year old mother of Rohana had passed away, according to residents, due to the trauma she experienced caused by the destruction to her house. The belongings were exposed to the rain with no one to take care of them.

Never ending problems

As many underserved settlements in Kajeemawatta and elsewhere in the country Somawathie had to leave this world without inheriting an inch of land to be given to her children. Her children and grandchildren have taken on the battle waged by Somawathie to secure a piece of land for them.

The settlements in Kajeemawatha has been a never ending problem to successive governments. The current government will need to address this issue amicably if it is to carry out its ambitious plan to transform the Western Province to a well planned megacity.

Though it is accepted that illegal squatters occupying prime land should be resettled to make way for development it is doubtful whether the government's policy of providing a house for a house would be adequate to address the issue as there are generations living in rented out houses in the underserved settlements seeking houses.

Abject poverty and social issues have compelled them to live in rented houses and in shanties set up in unauthorised land.

G.N. Premasiri, a 61-year-old occupying an unauthorised structure in 219 Watta or Apple Watta, in Fergusion road Thotalanga and had suffered a severe ailment, recalled her harrowing experience in her struggle to own the house after they had to sell the small house they owned in Kochchikade to treat her daughter who had fallen ill.

He sighs as he looks at the high rise condominium through the broken planks of his temporary hut in Apple Watta anticipating the bad time he would have to face without a house and a job as notices appeared in front of their house to vacate before February 29.

Forty five- year old Mohamed Fahim in 239 Watta with his wife and three children shares the same sentiments recalling the struggle they had had face to own a house. After their little house in Oliyamulla was destroyed as an unauthorised structure, they had to live in rented houses.

"We had no other option but to move from place to place and finally settle down in Colombo as squatters", he added.

Sanitary facilities

Children expecting a better house

They had to live in temporary huts under appalling conditions. They lacked basic requirements to lead a decent life. Sanitary facilities were minimum posing health risks.

The polluted water, which had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and many other infectious deceases have become a part of their lives and electricity and water are luxuries to them.

Except for birth certificates, identity cards and voter registration they do not enjoy the privileges as citizens. For Fahim, the voter registration in 2015 is the only proof that he lived in 239 Watta, in Ferguson Road, Thgotalanga.

"They registered us as voters from the area but had no claim of the benefits from the government", Fahim added while looking at his three-year old daughter Fathima Asma, whose legs were infected due to the polluted water.

According to government policy, neither Fahim nor his children will be entitled to a house as the owners of the house they live in have already obtained houses for those that were destroyed.

However, the people in Kajeemawatta claim the ongoing conflict between the UDA and the suqatters was an issue created by the UDA.

"Had the UDA destroyed all the houses, which were there in 2014 when they shifted the people living there to the Sahaspura flats, this situation wouldn't have occurred", Gamini Silva representing the people in Kajimawatta said.

He claimed that some people were allowed to live in Kajeemawatta, with the support of UDA officials who carried out the resettlement of people in Kajeemawatta in the Sahaspura flats in 2014.

"They should not treat a section of people in one way and others in another way. The rule must be applied to all equally", he said.

Episode

He accused an official at the UDA for creating this whole episode by allowing people to settle during the last Presidential election. He had recorded all those facts in a complain lodged at the Grand Pass Police soon after the UDA officials attempt to remove the people from Kajeemawatta on February 16.

Dwellings in 239 Watta

According to Ayanthi, a 49-year-old mother representing the community in Kajeemawatta explained how politicos and government officials during the previous and present government settled people in Kajeemawatta after those who were there were moved to the Sahaspura flats to obtain votes.

Temporary shelter

"It was those who supported the top defence officials of the previous government who were first settled here and later the people who did not receive houses were slowly allowed to settled there. When the UDA officials removed the houses in Somaliwatta on December 30, 2015 they allowed 26 families living there to put up a temporary shelter at Kajeemawatta. However that number was increased to 61 by the UDA officials," Ayanthi added.

She too accused an official with military ranks in the UDA for the whole episode and said they still take an upper hand in handling the issue and treat people in a cruel manner.

"If those officials did not allow their suporters to settle there no others would settle here illegally. They should know how to protect the land once they evacuate people from there", she added.

"It is wrong to block the road and protest inconveniencing the public but we did not have any other option. We will not give up our struggle", she added.

All those comments revealed a political hand in the episode not only involving politicians of the previous regime but also the present.

Megapolis and Western Development Ministry Secretary Nihal Rupasinghe said two UDA officials have been appointed to look into the issue and find those responsible for the situation.

"We will wait and see till the report of the two-member committee is handed over to us. But our decision to remove all the squatters on February 29 still stands", he added.

The UDA will give houses only 34 families in Kajeemawatta and others will have to find as the UDA has already provided houses for each house that was demolished in Kajeemawatta in 2014. "We are not in a position to give houses for extended families", he added. He also said though the UDA considered providing houses for those who living in rented houses in certain instances, they are not in a position to provide houses for all of them.

The Secretary said they have identified 60,000 families in all underserved settlements and they will be systematically resettled in houses being constructed.

Rupasinghe said under the Megapolis development plan projects such as the development of the Kelani Valley railway line and the construction of the elevated expressway from Peliyagoda to Malabe as prioritiess for this year for which they need to acquire lands.

Therefore, more public agitations can be expected in the time to come. It is upto the government to find a amicable solution to the issue of illegal sqatters considering the plight of the homeless who have to live in rented houses.

(Pix: Rukmal Gamage)