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| Sunday, 26 February 2006 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Monrovia Estate Ratgama a township soon From Elmo Leonard in Hikkaduwa Monrovia Estate, Ratgama, six kilometres interior of Galle Road, Hikkaduwa has over 1200 houses being built, for tsunami refugees. A mini-hospital is part of the plan. When complete, it will be a township, with residents and others who will come in, providing the common commercial services which go with human lifestyle. But, the buying power of this first generation of settlers could be low. The land was gifted by government, being a setting of coconut palm. There were houses being built by Unilevers, Keells and so many other entities. Dr Anura Ekanayake, director human resources and corporate relations of Unilever Sri Lanka said that as part of his firm's corporate responsibility, 50 houses were being built in the Monrovia Estate and another 100 in Trincomalee. Thirty houses in the southern complex, were completed and handed over free to recipients, chosen by government. Each house holds 10 perches of land, and costs Rs. 650,000, which includes electricity supply, water tank, gas cooker, beds and mattresses, as per request of occupants. Unilevers will as far as possible help the occupants of houses (built by them) carry out livelihoods of self-employment, or other. Water was being distributed by bowser and soon will be connected to a water line. "The funds needed are wholly gifted by Unilever," Dr Ekanayake said. Recipient, K.H. Rangapushpakumara, 28, a barber by profession, his wife, I.M. Sudarshika, a housewife their twin sons, Pohan Sandosha and Sahan Tharusha under three years and two brothers of Sudarshika, recalled the Asian tsunami of December 26, 2004. They had climbed a concrete roof and were saved. When Rangapushpakumara who was coming home by bus, got caught in the tidal wave, he saw his house intact. He escaped, to find his home at Seenigama, near the Devala (temple) in Waralana, swallowed up with its foundation. Part of Rangapushpakumara's saloon, at his parent's home was also destroyed. They lived on rent up to today. Galle, four kilometres away, is the nearest town, here. There is no public transport visible, and Sudarshika's two brothers will need bicycles to travel eight kilometres to school. K. Oralis Appu, 60 and his wife Pabulisomi lived four metres from the sea. Fisher, Oralis Appu was badly hurt and his wife's hand broken. "No one has paid me compensation for my broken hand," she said. There were deaths in the family, including their four-year old granddaughter. Oralis Appu has to cycle to the beach. He hires a 35 foot motor boat, and with any two fishers available at the time on the beach, they venture out. They have three sons and a daughter. The sons also hire boats to catch fish. |
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