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| Sunday, 1 December 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Twenty fourth anniversary of Batticaloa's Blackest Day : The Cyclone which blasted Batticaloa by Prince Casinader When the people of Batticaloa faced the dawn of the 22nd of November 1978, they little knew that the entire area would be so changed within the next twenty four hours. There had been incessant rain and by 22nd evening people were in utter fear as the strong winds grew louder and louder. This was Batticaloa's fate as a cycle of cyclones targeted Batticaloa and the East, with previous incidents recorded in 1845, 1907 and 1921. Batticaloa suffered utter devastation. A count taken days after the cyclone had abated, revealed that out of 31,500 coconut trees, about 28,000 had been smashed almost to matchwood. Some of them lining the lagoon and sea coast had fallen into those waters fishermen found their fishing impeded by those trunks entangling their nets. About 240 schools had been almost flattened, and well over hundreds of miles of electric cables in tatters. One highlight of this sad event was the action of forethought and valour, in the midst of falling debris, of a Sinhala Sub Inspector then stationed in Batticaloa in rushing to the Power House to get the supply switched off to lessen the casualties who would have stepped on live wires and got electrocuted. All my efforts to trace the name of this gallant officer who deserved a medal, were useless. Among the casualties were cadju plantations, coconut plantation and paddy crops and estimates revealed that I/5th of Batticaloa's fishing fleet had been affected. A happy feature was how some doctors working at the General Hospital, faced with the lack of water, personally carried water to the upper wards. One of the very few buildings which stood up to this terrific blast was the ancient Dutch Fort which even now houses the nerve centre of the Batticaloa Administration. A former State Council Member in his book entitled 'Monograph of the Batticaloa district writes that in building the walls of this doughty Fort a former Chieftain had donated about 300 pots of honey, which went into the mix used in building the walls of this Fort. |
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