Ambalangoda tsunami victims still adrift

By Gamini Mahadura

Though two years have elapsed since the deadly tsunami of 2004, many of those affected by it are yet living in temporary shelters undergoing much hardship. There are yet 48 families from the Ambalangoda area spending their lives in makeshift huts erected on marshy land in the Halwatura area.They are mostly fisher families who were suddenly caught up in the tsunami losing everything they possessed.

Prior to being housed at Halwatura they were temporarily housed at the Ambalangoda fisheries complex. The present temporary shelters were built by the JVP and the Seva Lanka Organisation. The area where the shelters were built had been earmarked for a playground for the Prajapathi Balika Vidyalaya.

It has to be given over to the school after the demolition of the temporary shelters before the end of this year. Now the residents of the temporary shelters are in a quandary as to where they should go once the school authorities take over the land.

P.H.Nimal who is a resident here had this to say. “I am a fisherman and there are seven of us here in one hut belonging to three families. There is no space here for all of us to live and no attempts have hitherto been made to relocate us after nearly two years. I own 8 perches of land but no means to build a house on it”.

Ms. Shalika Kalpani, a mother of two, said she was living near the beach and lost everything in the tsunami. She said she does not know where to go from here. S. Nilanthi Manel had almost the same sad story to relate.

The loss she incurred in the tsunami was estimated at over Rs. 600,000 and she too complained of the unhealthy situation prevailing there adding that no healh authorities had dared to visit them to date. She said the houses built for them at Batapola area is too far for their fishing activities.

She pleads that they be housed in areas close to the sea. P.H. Nihal had his own tale of woe. He has three daughters. He could not live even for a year in a newly built house that was destroyed by the tsunami.

He complained that he did not receive anything from any NGO. He said that some had received money, boats and even houses whereas he did not get any. He added arrangements are being made to hand over 23 houses built in Thalgasgoda to 70 homeless families on a lottery basis and that no plans have been made to find alternative housing for the rest.

Ms. S.P. Amarawathie said she has only her son. There are 15 other families like hers who had been living in rented houses and who are now living here. Those who occupied permanent houses of their own are refusing to occupy the new houses built at Batapola. She said she appealed to the officials to allocate those houses to her and families in similar positions.