Bureaucratic
tsunami
Red Cross blames Govt. red-tape
for the crumbling of a Canadian Red Cross-funded housing
project for Colombo’s tsunami-affected
By Dhananjani Silva
How valuable would a plot of land
be to someone whose home has been literally razed to
the ground by the tsunami? While tsunami victims still
languishing in temporary shelters claim that help has
not come their way as far as resettlement is concerned,
those in authority say that the delay is mainly due
to the difficulties they face in finding land.
If so, how is it that one acre of
land at Meegahawatte/Pranshawatte in Mattakkuliya which
was supposed to be used for tsunami housing is lying
idle?
![](../images/pls6.jpg) |
Land where houses for the tsunami-affected
people were to be built. Pic by J. Weerasekera |
On January 6 this year, this land
was acquired by the UDA on instructions from the Colombo
Divisional Secretary and the District Secretary for
the purpose of 'rehousing of the tsunami affected',
The Sunday Times learns. After the acquisition, on March
10, the land was handed over to the Sri Lanka Red Cross
Society to build a G+3 housing complex (ground floor
+ three storeys) with 160 units.
On July 22, the building plan submitted
by the Red Cross was passed and the UDA approval was
given.
But on September 11, the tsunami housing
project which was to begin on this land came to a standstill
with the Colombo District Secretary, deciding to halt
the Canadian Red Cross Society funded project. This
decision was taken without consulting the Red Cross,
The Sunday Times further learns.
On entry to the site, a board put
up by the Divisional Secretary announces that the land
is being acquired by the government to "rehouse"
the tsunami affected. At the top of the road which leads
directly to the site is another board that reads, “Post-Tsunami
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Community Housing
Programme”. But the bitter truth is that these
are the only signs that the rehousing project was in
the offing.
Such is the plight that has befallen
a venture which was initiated to help the tsunami affected.
In August, The Sunday Times featured
the plight of the tsunami-affected people living in
temporary huts at Mattakkuliya's Vystwyke Park. The
Divisional Secretary, when contacted claimed that they
were unable to relocate these tsunami affected families
as there was "no land available" in Colombo
or the vicinity.
So why did this Rs. 300-million project
come to a sudden halt? A spokesperson from the Sri Lanka
Red Cross Society said this project funded by the Canadian
Red Cross Society focused on building a housing scheme
of 160 units with water, electricity and other facilities
such as lifts, a playground and a community centre.
Each unit was to consist of two bedrooms, a living cum
dining room, a kitchen and a toilet. The construction
cost was estimated at Rs 1.5 million.
Although the initial plan by the government
was to build G+3 houses, later a decision was taken
to prepare designs for G+9 units to make optimum use
of the land. This is why a redesigning process was carried
out, says the official.
However, the Red Cross official says
it was when they were in the final stages of completing
the designing and planning process that they received
news of the cancellation of the project by the District
Secretary on September 11.
"So far we have spent Rs. 6 million
but without informing us, the authorities have cancelled
the project. Internationally, we are being blamed, for
donors are pressurizing us. At one time the authorities
say something and the next moment they change their
mind. Because of this we are also in a terrible status
to face the donors," the Red Cross official said.
He said the Rs. 6 million spent so
far was on surveying, beneficiary auditing, temporary
boundary walls, consultancy fees on construction design
and soil testing. He said the soil testing had to be
done on two occasions as the government proposal had
changed from putting up G+3 to G+9.
The official said he believes that
the government should reimburse the expenses incurred
so far as the Red Cross was accountable to the donors.
He also said there should be a proper
government mechanism to address the issues of the tsunami-affected.
"There are a large number of
affected people waiting to be relocated, and there are
grants as well. The Sri Lanka Red Cross with its partner
societies is ready to build houses for the tsunami affected.
Therefore, the government's role is to provide the donors
with land. If not, the money would go out to other countries,"
he said.
According to the Red Cross official,
no time frame was given to the Red Cross but its target
was to complete the housing project in one and half
years’ time.
"This is not the only project
that we do. Similar projects are underway in other areas.
But in Mattakkuliya, we could not proceed with the work
properly as there were interferences from the District
Secretary from time to time," the Red Cross official
alleged.
Meanwhile for Colombo's hapless tsunami
affected, like those living in Vystwyke Park, their
hope of a proper home remains a distant dream as the
weeks slip by.
Tsunami statistics as of July
2006 |
The
total number of families displaced in each affected
Divisional Secretary Division of the Colombo District
- Moratuwa-4215
- Ratmalana-1754
- Colombo-2041
- Dehiwala-575
The refugee camps in each Divisional
Secretary Division and the total of tsunami-displaced
families in each camp
- Moratuwa Divisional Secretary Division -
11 camps
- Rathmalana Divisional Secretary Division
- 3 camps
- Dehiwala Divisional Secretary Division -
3 camps
- Colombo Divisional Secretary Division- 3
camps
|
Divisional Secretary
says… |
Colombo's
Divisional Secretary Kanthi Perera said the decision
to halt the project was taken due to a Presidential
order that the relocation process of the tsunami-affected
should be completed by December 31, this year.
But nothing was being done with regard to construction
on the part of the Red Cross, she said.
"Every day people come here to tell us
their grievances and at this rate we realised
that it would take another five years to build
these houses and get the other infrastructure
facilities needed. There are no houses that are
being put up by them at the site and they still
haven't passed the plan even," she said.
According to her, the government has now decided
to give the tsunami affected families an initial
grant of Rs. 750,000 in three instalments (to
purchase the land, to build a house and after
completion of building the house) and people are
happy about this decision.
The Pranshawatte land, she said would be returned
to its original owners. |
‘Write anything
you want’ |
Attempts by The Sunday
Times to clarify matters with Colombo's District
Secretary failed as he refused to comment on the
abrupt cancellation of the tsunami housing project.
"You write anything you want to the
papers," he said.
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