Special observation visit held

A house being constructed for storm victims. Picture by H. L. Sunil Shantha, Kalutara Central Special Corr.

A special observation visit with regard to the flooding and strong winds that occurred in the Kalutara district, last May, was carried out under the instructions of Kalutara District Secretary U. D. C. Jayalal, recently. It was organised by the Kalutara District Media Unit.

A number of houses, buildings and schools along with roads, were destroyed in the Dodangoda, Agalawatte, Mathugama, Palinduanuwara, Walallawita and Bulathsinhala Divisional Secretariat divisions. Kalutara District Head of Disaster Management Col. Prasad Samarasinghe participated as well.

The Kalutara district secretary, speaking to disaster victims, that the government had made the necessary financial allocations to build houses in state-owned lands. Any person who had lost their house in the disaster would receive Rs. 400,000 to buy a plot of land, in addition to another Rs. 1.2 million to build a house. Financial aid would be provided by the Disaster Management Ministry.

Dodamgoda Divisional Secretary Dharshana Ranasinghe said the ministry spent Rs. 9.98 million for resettling 76 displaced families in state-owned lands. She said that the government had already spent Rs. 3.068 billion to acquire lands and resettle displaced families in the Dodangoda division, adding that at present, 21 houses are being constructed, while two families had already settled down. Resettled persons were provided with all the necessary facilities.

Janaka Deepal Rupasinghe, a beneficiary, said, “We are thankful to the Kalutara district secretary as well as our divisional secretary, for providing us with lands and houses.”

The Walallawita divisional secretary said that 15 families in the area were displaced due to landslides, adding that 14 houses had been built, while the construction of the last house is currently ongoing. No casualties were reported from the Walallawita area.

The Palindanuwara divisional secretary said 357 families in the Ambegoda village were displaced, last year. In the Agalawatte area, 42 families who lost their houses are currently receiving new houses.

The Bulathsinhala divisional secretary said, “We have prepared all necessary arrangements for the resettlement of 450 displaced families. One hundred and thirty-nine houses are currently under construction at Paragoda, in a state-owned 125-acre land.”

“We renovated 20 schools at a cost of Rs. 104 million, while Rs. 350 million was spent for the re-construction and renovation of roads and other facilities in the Bulathsinhala Divisional Secretariat division,” he added.

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