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Lack of equipment hinders rehabilitation work
By Asif Fuard
Nearly a month after the tsunami struck on December 26, one of the worst affected districts in the South, Galle, still faces problems of drinking water and lack of heavy equipment to clear the rubble.

To add to these woes, relief officials say the early departure by the US marines may bring the clearing operations to a standstill, as most of the heavy equipment and labour were provided by them.

Galle's Government Agent G. Hewavitharane said the US marines had been of immense help in this hour of need and they had cleared up most of the rubble but there was still more to be done. "We have requested them to extend their stay because we are unable to carry out the task on our own. We don't have the type of heavy equipment the US Marines have brought. If they take their equipment and go back at this point, it will slow down the process of rebuilding the Galle district," he said.

Mr. Hewavitharane also pointed to another praiseworthy task being carried out by the US Marines in the district. "It is they who are supplying clean drinking water to the refugee camps. "Once they leave, the responsibility of providing drinking water would fall on the Water Board which does not have enough bowsers to carry out the task effectively," the GA said.

Commenting on rehabilitation measures being carried out in the district, Mr. Hewavitharane said their priority was to provide temporary houses for those who are leaving the camps and getting back to what were once their homes. "With more than 10,000 houses damaged in Galle these people who are leaving the camps have no place to go to except to their ruined houses. But the rebuilding process too has been hindered by the lack of vehicles to transport raw materials for construction purposes," Mr. Hewavitharane said.

"The Italian and Korean governments have promised us equipment to clear up the debris. But here too since Galle harbour is small we face the problem of accommodating large vessels carrying heavy equipment," he said. On a more positive note he said so far there had been no outbreak of any diseases due to contaminated water and countries including the US, France and Hungary had provided personnel to purify the water.

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