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Sri
Lanka to strictly enforce exclusion zone Meanwhile the government has gone further in the Eastern and Northern coasts (Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara Districts) where the buffer zone has been extended to 200 meters. All construction whether temporary or permanent coming within the buffer zone is banned, whereas hotels have been exempted, this too after much objection from the tourism sector. Tourist Board registered Hotels with damages of less than 40 percent are permitted to be repaired but those with damages of more than 40 percent are to be relocated on alternative land. Although alternative land has been identified in Maradankerni (Vadamarachchi West) there exists a problem as there is no state land in Point Pedro (Vadamarachchi East), Jaffna District Secretary K. Ganesh told The Sunday Times. "Altogether 2,700 and 2,100 housing units are to be set up in Vadamarachchi West and East respectively, displaced people had been sent to 18 interim relocation sites set up all over Jaffna", he said. District Secretary for the tiger-held Mullaitivu District Emelda Sukumar told The Sunday Times that all arrangements are under way to build 3,011 housing units of which 900 have been completed. She said the Government need not utilise its funds on the rebuilding as the NGO Consortium has agreed to do it at Rs. 500,000 per unit and is awaiting the green light from the LTTE. To relocate families living in the 200-meter buffer zone, 8,000 new houses have to be built of which 700 houses have already been constructed in the Trincomalee district, Trincomalee district secretary M.D. A.G. Rodrigo told The Sunday Times. Batticaloa District Secretary V. Shanmugam, said that 4,300 families are to be relocated and that 12,000 new permanent housing units will be set up in the District. District Secretary of the worst affected Ampara District, H.M. Herath Abeyweera told The Sunday Times that the 200 metre exclusion zone will be implemented and 15,000 families earlier living within the zone, would be allocated alternative housing units from outside. However problems exists with the identification and acquisition of land for the purpose, Mr. Abeyweera said. M. A. Piyasena, Hambantota District Secretary said that identification has been completed and MoUs had been signed with donors to build 5,500 housing units in the Hambantota District, although only 2,500 units are needed. District Secretary of Galle, G. Hewavitharana said that lands have to be identified, acquired and blocked out first before relocating families. |
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