Gurunagar flats for fisherfolk renovated at Rs. 64 m

By Mohammed Naalir

The Gurunagar flats consisting of 160 units where a fisher community reside along Beach Road, Gurunagar by the coast, has received a facelift. Many of the facilities which were destroyed during the conflict have been restored and residents are breathing a sigh of relief.

The life of people in the Northern peninsula has returned to normal after the restoration of peace in the country.

The fisher community living in the Gurunagar flats suffered many shortcomings. There were no sanitary facilities and people had to fetch water from distant places.

We spoke to a cross section of the Gurunagar flat residents. They said that the flat was under renovation on a directive by Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa following a request by Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda. The renovation work is expected to be completed in nine months.

M. Mohan, a resident said his family was displaced in 1995 due to LTTE threats. After the LTTE was defeated in 2009, he returned with his family, but there were hardly any facilities in the house. His family continued to live in the flats with difficulty.

He said the problems were brought to the attention of Minister Douglas Devananda. He initiated renovation work on the flats. But major renovations had to be done to make the houses livable. Minister Weerawansa visited the flats with Ministry officials and inquired into the problems of residents. Ministers Douglas Devananda also accompanied the delegation.

"Minister Weerawansa allocated Rs. 100 million to renovate the flats and improve facilities including sanitation facilities", Mohan said.

"Tigers had damaged the buildings. There are 160 housing units in the Gurunagar flats. Forty housing units were completely damaged. Forty families which evacuated during the conflict from the Gurunagar flats still live with friends and relatives", he said.

W. Mary Ranjith said that the then Government gave the houses in the Gurunagar flats to fishery families in 1985. They evacuated the flats in 1995 when the Armed Forced lived in the flats. After the Armed Forces withdrew we resettled and again we were displaced when the Government launched the humanitarian operation against the LTTE in 2006. After the elimination of the LTTE we returned in 2009. Two families live in one house with great difficulty. "Now we heave a sigh of relief after terrorism was eliminated and commencing renovation in the flats", she said. She also expressed confidence that the flats will get back to its previous glory soon. "Now the war on terrorism is over and we live in our own places peacefully. Our life was akin to the life of gypsies until the restoration of peace in the country. Epidemics affected us. Roofs of houses were destroyed by cyclones and we were also affected by the tsunami", Mrs. Ranjith said.

A resident of Gurunagar flats, Mrs. Emmanuel Nayagi said that they lived in the flats since 1985 and were displaced during the 1990 conflict. "Shell attacks claimed the lives of many close relatives. My kith and kin are in India", she said. Fishing is the only profession they know. The income from fishing was not sufficient to manage day-to-day expenditure and to renovate houses which is in a dilapidated state. "Underprivileged fishery families lived in Gurunagar without any facilities for nearly 28 years. But now we are happy as the flats are being renovated",Nayagi said.

Rajasekar Mary Kavitha said that she lives in the G-12 block. She moved here in 1985 with her parents. Now she lives with her children. Her family underwent untold hardship during the conflict period. Fishing is the only livelihood for these residents.

"We have hardly any money to get our houses renovated. As there was nowhere to go, we lived in the flats even during the tsunami, cyclones and other natural disasters. The conflict is now over. It is time that the Government looked into our well-being. Now we breath the air of peace. The next generation should not experience the grievances we experienced", she said.

K. Anthonypillai said that he was given a housing unit at Gurunagar flats by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) in 1985. He moved out to a safe place when the battle intensified between the armed forces and the LTTE. "When he returned there was no water tanks, water pump or windows. The drainage was damaged. There were no roofs for certain houses. We lived amidst immense difficulties for a long time.

As we are unable to live in these flats without sanitation facilities and water we have formed a society to demand for these facilities. The Society met Minister Douglas Devananda and brought to his attention the shortcomings that needed immediate attention.

Hettiarachchi Nimal Malini said her father was a Sinhalese and they lived in the H-04 block. When the conflict broke out she went with her family to Mattakkuliya. After peace was restored she resettled in her house in the Gurunagar flats.

The Government implemented a large scale livelihood and infrastructure development project in the Northern province at a cost of ten million rupees. Once the initiated projects in the province are completed, the province will turn into a hub of prosperity.

Dilapidated roads are being renovated and several roads are being laid, while the main access roads are being carpeted.

The Government has made livelihood initiatives for the people in the North. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has urged that programs should be expedited without any shortcomings.

Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda and Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister, Wimal Weerawansa inaugurated the renovation work of the Gurunagar Housing flats at a simple ceremony held at the site. Out of Rs. 100 million allocated by the Ministry, Rs 63.56 million has been spent to renovate eight blocks, Rs. 4.18 million to renovate the access roads and RS. 8 million to renovate the drainage, sewerage systems and to renovate the community centre, Ministry sources said.