Rock quarry supplying expressway damages over 200 homes - Residents

Residents in Jadura, Angunukolapelessa have been protesting since yesterday (12) alleging that they have not received compensation for houses that were damaged due to explosions set off at a rock quarry in the area used to supply rocks for the construction of the Southern Expressway. 

Area residents claim that some 200 families in the area have been affected by the explosions and say that the Chinese company in charge of the project has so far failed to provide compensation to all those who have been affected. 

Residents also charge that damage estimates for many of the 200 houses that were affected have been extremely low. They also allege that compensation is only being awarded to houses within a 200 metre radius of the rock quarry. They however, insist that houses well outside that radius too have suffered considerable damage owing to the explosions. 

Text and Pix by Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi in Hambantota