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plans but people wary Hambantota Government Agent M. A. Piyasena said their priority was to build shelters for the displaced families in the district. "About 150 temporary houses have already been put up in the Kirinde area and NGOs such as FORUT, Oxfam and Leeds International have volunteered to help in the construction of about 2000 temporary houses," he said. He said these houses would serve as temporary residences for the people till about 6,500 permanent houses are built. Although only 4,048 houses were destroyed in the tsunami, Mr. Piyasena said about 6,000 houses would be needed because there were houses that previously housed about two families. He said NGOs like PLAN International, World Vision, the Red Cross and the UNICEF have volunteered to partially fund the housing project. "We have identified the land needed for the construction of permanent houses. Some land has already been cleared. The President this week laid the foundation stone for a housing scheme at Siribopura, three kilometres from Hambantota town," he said. Commenting on the situation of the refugee camps in Hambantota District, Mr. Piyasena said the number of camps had been reduced from 29 to six and many families were now staying with relatives. "We are also looking in to obtaining fishing boats for the 12,000 affected fisher families. Some NGOs have come forward with proposals for this, but nothing has been finalised," Mr. Piyasena said. Although government officials sound upbeat about the rehabilitation project, aid workers and the affected people are wary about it. The new settlement area is to come up behind the "Maha Lewaya" saltern behind the lagoon. "They've started clearing the jungle, and the people have been told they're going to get homes. The plot of land is about two kilometres inland, but it is about four kilometres from where fishermen beach their boats. These fishermen have not been given the guarantee that they will be able to moor their boats on the beach and whether there will be security for their vessels," an aid worker said. He also said some of the Muslims did not want to be resettled in the marked areas and wanted their homes rebuilt where their old homes once stood. He said they had been picketing in front of the mosque. He also said there appeared to be no clear plan for the proposed new Hambantota town. The aid worker alleged that some Muslim areas in the district have not received proper attention of relief workers due to political reasons. He charged that the JVP and its student body Inter-University Students Federation did not clean up Zahira Primary, which is a Muslim school, while they helped other schools in the area to remove the debris and clear up. |
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