Plight of Aranayake displaced: Funeral inside tent

The funeral of a person displaced due to the landslide on Samasara Hill in Aranayake is being held inside a tent at the camp the displaced are housed in, highlighting the sorry plight of the displaced more than six months after the disaster. 

The deceased has been identified as 42-year-old A.G. Sarath Shantha. A father of two, Mr. Shantha was a carpenter by trade and was the sole breadwinner of his family, said his wife, Mrs. Sunethra. 

According to Mr. Shantha's wife, their house was not destroyed due to the landslide and is still intact. However, authorities ordered them to leave the area as their house fell in the 'high risk' zone which could be vulnerable to further landslides. 

Mr. Shantha had been suffering from asthma and according to his family and others at the camp for the displaced, his condition had worsened since they moved into the camp at Dippitiya in Wilpola. The climate in the area was extremely cold and living in tents without any form of heating made it extremely difficult for people like him, they claimed. 

Mr. Shantha was rushed to the Aranayake Hospital after falling ill on December 7, but died soon after. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Shantha's family and relatives claim the Government has provided no financial aid to conduct his funeral. Senior officials at the Aranayake Divisional Secretariat had allegedly told the family there were no provisions to provide financial assistance in case of a death of a person living at the camp for the displaced. 

Those at the camp are urging authorities to expedite efforts to construct houses for them. 

Story and Pix by Saman Wijaya Bandara in Mawanella

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