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| Sunday, 27 November 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The man-made tragedy at Atabage by Ranga Chandraratne
At Atabage, the road ahead was blocked by a large chunk of soil dropped onto the road and there was a sizable gathering of men and women who on seeing the "press" board on the windscreen of the vehicle, rushed to us to tell the tragedy that befell upon them as a result of a quarry that had been in operation for over two years disregarding the villagers. "This was the third time that an earthslip occurred in the area. Every time when we complained the company that operates the quarry said to us to go to RDA, and when we went there, they in turn asked us to go to China Harbor (China Harbor is the company that operates the quarry). There is no one responsible for this tragedy. Every house in the area is cracked and dangerous to live in, because of the tremor generated by the quarry. First I complained to the Ombudsman and then to RDA and China Harbor. I live in a relative's house with my three kids and appealed to the Presidential Candidates to intervene to stop this tragedy. When they dynamited the rock, the tremor was so powerful that the roofing sheets of the house were thrown away, and still I could not replace them, as I cannot afford to do it. I am a labourer and I do not have a fixed income," said T. G. Sarath Premarathne, an affected villager. A. G. Chandrapala, a villager who has been living in this land said", It has been over 25 years since I settled down here. Earlier, part of this land slipped and this is my birthplace. Since the start of the quarry, the village was affected badly. Walls and the floor of the house were cracked by the tremor generated by explosions at the quarry." Thilak N. Sujeva said", Walls of our houses were cracked and although we complained to the Company, our complaints fell into deaf years and no action has been taken. They took photographs of the damaged walls and thereafter they did not come. I have a five year old child". "My child partially lost her hearing as a result of explosions at the quarry. My house also cracked. My daughter, who is studying in year 9 class, cannot hear properly. We appealed to the Government to solve this problem or provide us with alternative land to settle. Children could not study because of the thunder of explosions at the quarry which goes on, till 10.00 pm. There are five or six suffering from weak eye sight and hearing impairment due to the sounds and the granite dust of the blasts." "This quarry was started two years ago, and since then we have been facing the danger of being crumpled by large rocks that dropped from the quarry from time to time. Recently a huge rock rolled into the house causing damage to the furniture and it was by luck, that one of my relations escaped death. The Company, which operates the quarry "China Harbor", visited us and promised us that they would consider our hardships but did not come thereafter. We were sent from pillar to post by the authorities. They gave us a pittance and I got about Rs. 8,000. They promised to get us the TV and the damaged door repaired. So we could not complain as they said that they had already paid the damage. The officials visited and promised us but thereafter they did not come." Almost all the villagers in the impoverished mountain community in the hamlet of Senquhar Colony in Atabage complained that their lives were in grave danger because of the quarry that sends tremors shattering the foundations of the houses in the village, and causing structural damages to the houses. They blamed the authorities concerned for not taking action against the operators of the quarry and failing to pay compensation for the damaged houses and consumer durables. They got up daily to the gory sounds of the explosions and blasts. Every passing day for them is hellish and they start the day with piercing granite dust that blocked their vision causing impairment in sight, and their plight is deplorable. Poverty has prevented them from moving away from the land they settled in for generations, which is, now, shattered by the explosions and the tremors from the quarry. This quarry has turned the sleepy impoverish mountain community into a hell upon the earth, compelling them to live with the danger of being buried alive with their damaged houses. |
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