Census on unauthorised dwellers near waterways

The Irrigation Ministry has ordered an immediate census of unauthorised dwellers near waste water canals, irrigation waterways and wetland in districts worst affected by recent floods including Gampaha, Colombo, Kalutara, Nuwara Eliya and Galle.

The census is to be carried out as a precursor to an expedited program to relocate these unauthorised dwellers as a solution to the flash flooding experienced in cities after a heavy rain, a spokesperson for the Ministry said. Irrigation and Water Resource Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has ordered the census when he was informed that there was no means to recall such data within the system.

The census will be carried out in liaison with the district irrigation office. "Some of these dwellers are not from poorer sections of the society as one would expect. There are rich dwellers as well who own houses elsewhere.

They have encroached on the scenic lands hoping to own it someday and use it for leisure industry," the spokesperson said.

Some of these affluent dwellers have attacked Irrigation officials who visited the places for inspections on official duty, especially in Ja-Ela and Dandugam Oya areas, he said.