Calamity strikes Pangolla Ranavirugama

By Hiranthi Fernando

It was a rainy, windy night on the 27th of April. Streaks of lightning shot through the darkened sky. While the residents of the Pangolla Ranavirugama prepared to eat their evening meal, disaster struck this village of disabled soldiers. A fierce gale swept through the village blowing off 23 roofs and severely damaging several houses. It was fortunate that they had not yet gone to sleep when it happened and so, nobody was injured.

To reach Pangolla Ranavirugama, we turned off at Ibbagamuwa on the Kurunegala, Dambulla Road. The tarred road peters off after a while, giving way to a rough gravel road which continues up to the village. As we turned into the settlement, the roofless houses and crumbled walls were a desolate sight. On either side of the path there were several houses with the roofs completely or partially blown off. The timber beams, which did not look very strong were broken and hanging down the sides. Broken asbestos sheets stood leaning forlornly against the walls. Some of the walls as well as the doors and windows were also damaged. Deep cracks were seen running down some walls.

The Ranavirugama at Pangolla, approximately five kilometers from the Ibbagamuwa main road, was established in September 1994. The village which extends over 17 acres of land, consists of 100 houses each built on a 20 perch block. Eighty of the houses are occupied by disabled soldiers and some families of soldiers who have lost their lives in battle. A large number of these disabled soldiers have lost a limb to a landmine. Twenty of the houses are not occupied yet. Apart from the houses, there is a community hall and a welfare shop which although completed has not been opened yet.

In the first damaged house we saw, were Chandani Silva and her little son. Her husband Corporal Silva was injured by a bomb at Welioya and now works at the Army Headquarters. “Fortunately for us, we were not at home when the roof came down,” Chandani said. The family had gone to visit her parents at Kuliyapitiya that day. “I dread to think what would have happened if we were here. My child would have been sleeping right under the broken roof.” Chandani’s living room and verandah were badly damaged. Some of the asbestos sheets which had been torn off from the central beam had been roughly replaced to provide some cover and the furniture piled under this portion. “The water pours in from the top of the roof when it rains,” Chandani said. The house next to Chandani’s was also similarly damaged but this one was not yet occupied.

J.M. Rambanda, a Lance Corporal of the Army Engineers Unit, was injured by a bomb at Mannar in 1992. He now maintains the water pump of the settlement. Rambanda moved into the little house at Pangolla, with his wife and two sons Kanishka and Shamila three years ago. Rambanda and his family were away from home attending a funeral when his house was damaged by the gale.

“We were in the bedroom when we heard the wind blowing hard,” said S.M. Bisomenike who lived at Pangolla with her young widowed daughter-in-law Priyanka and nine year old grandson. “We saw the roof being lifted off the beams. Luckily, we were able to run outside before it got wrenched off completely. We were afraid to stay even outside the house in case the electricity post came down. Despite the rain, we embraced each other and sat in the middle of the paddy field and waited for the storm to subside.” Priyanka and her mother-in-law have moved their furniture in to several neighbours’ houses for safe keeping. They live in one room of another neighbour’s house. With no man in the family, they have to find a means of replacing the broken roofing sheets and repairing the roof.

In yet another damaged house lived Captain Tillekeratne and his wife Dayani Mangala. he had lost an eye and a hand in battle. “I was in the kitchen cooking dinner that night. It was raining heavily and there was a strong wind. “My husband who was outside, saw the roof getting lifted off. I heard the doors and windows opening and banging. As I came out of the kitchen, I saw pieces of concrete falling. My husband came in and dragged me out before the roof came off,” Dayani recalled. Dayani and her husband who now works at the army camp at Weherawatte, have stored their furniture in three neighbours houses. They sleep at night in another neighbour’s house.

These houses have not been constructed properly, many of the residents complained. According to them, the centre roof beams are made of 2 x 2 timber which do not give adequate strength. “This is why the roofs have got blown off so easily. The walls are already cracked, they pointed out.

The doors have been made with cheap untreated rubber wood. If you kick the door it would fly off,” commented one disabled resident. The Army Welfare division have paid about 125,000 for each of the houses. It seems obvious that the contractor has played out on the job. However, the officer from the engineers unit of the army is also to blame for having passed payment for such shoddy work.

Speaking of the common problems of the settlement, the residents of Pangolla said they encountered a severe problem regarding their water supply. The four wells originally built by the contractor to provide water for the houses are not serviceable at all.

There is no water in these wells, only mud. The residents have joined together and contributed money to in order to connect the pipes to pump water directly from the Deduru Oya to the sump. When there is a heavy shower of rain the pipes and sockets get pushed out due to the increased water pressure, and often have to be replaced. Added to this expense, they each have to pay Rs. 300 every month as electricity charges for operating the pump. Three of the residents have dug their own wells and the water from these are used by all the residents for drinking and cooking purposes. The contractor has played out on the wells too, they complained.

Transport to and from the settlement is a severe problem to the disabled residents and their families. They have to go to Ibbagamuwa for all their household requirements as well as medicines. Since no buses ply on this road, getting about their work is extremely difficult. Dayani Mangala who had worked as a nurse in the Cooperative Hospital said she resigned her job due to the difficulties of transport. Only one private van operates in the area. A few of the disabled soldiers run three wheeler taxis and these are used to take children to school and so on. “We have given a letter to the Ministry of Transport asking for a bus for this area but we have not had any success.”

Having a bus on the route would make a great difference to our lives, said Anupriya Swarnatilleke, a medically boarded out disabled soldier who had lost a leg at Welioya. Swarnatilleke is the Secretary of the Welfare committee of the residents.

“We need some help in getting our children into a school,” said Mahinda Ranjith, another disabled soldier who has been medically boarded out. According to him disabled soldiers who have been medically boarded out and are no longer serving in the army face a problem in admitting their children into school. “We are not asking for Royal College or Maliyadeva. If we can get our children into Ibbagamuwa Maha Vidyalaya, we are happy.”

The most pressing problem of the Pangolla Ranavirugama residents at present is to get their broken roofs repaired.

“If we had the money to buy new roofing sheets and to repair our roofs we would not waste time with the rainy season approaching, they said. It is very difficult for them to live with their belongings scattered over several houses. Although the neighbours are helpful it is not easy for them too since the houses are so small.” Swarnatilleke said that they have made representations to the Social Services Ministry as well as the Provincial Council of the area. The Grama Niladhari told us they cannot help us since we are drawing government salaries,” he said. The Provincial Minister who visited the village to inspect the damage asked them to give an estimate of cost of repairs. The estimate for 23 houses varying between Rs.1,000 and Rs.30,000, adds up to Rs.360,000/-. “The Provincial Minister is trying to get us some part of this cost, but so far we have not succeeded in getting any assistance,” Swarnatilleke said.

It is indeed sad that these unfortunate soldiers who in serving their country have suffered injury should face these difficulties in their lives. The ladies of the Army Seva Vanitha Unit are doing an admirable job in trying to provide more comforts to the disabled soldiers.

However with so many families suffering the consequences of the war, it is not possible for the Seva Vanitha alone to cater to all their needs. The disabled soldiers of Pangolla earnestly hope for some assistance to provide them with a secure roof over their heads.

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