Puhulpola ‘new village’ where promises ring hollow after Uma Oya destruction
The Uma Oya multipurpose irrigation cum power project is gradually nearing completion, but for many who sacrificed their lands and houses for the sake of the project, life has not been easy.
Some families have been awaiting compensation for 10 years for damage to their homes and lands. Some have been given alternative lands, but no official documentation of ownership.
The project, initiated by then president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was launched in 2008 with an Iranian loan to divert water to Wellawaya via Kirindi Oya to Hambantota.
Iran’s Export Development Bank agreed to lend US$450m for a 15-year repayment term with a grace period of 5 years. Sri Lanka was to finance the “balance 15%’’.
Apart from providing water for irrigation, the project is aimed at providing drinking water to Bandarawela, while generating 120 Megawatts of power before releasing the water from Alikota ara to Wellawaya for cultivation.
The project was launched on March 15, 2010, and was due to be completed in December 2019, but midway it ran into controversy when a leak sprang in the tunnel between Mathetilla and Alikota ara.
In 2015, in the Bandarawela Divisional Secretary area, where 1,344 homes were damaged, residents noticed the walls of their homes were cracking, lands were sinking, and many found that wells were drying up, forcing them to leave.
Ven Puhulpola Nandaratna thera of the Puhulpola temple in Welimada told the Sunday Times that the farmers in the area were wealthy and their vegetables had been sold in markets in Vavuniya and Jaffna.
The thera noted that promises from politicians and officials flowed during the initial stages with an assurance that a separate town will be built in Puhulpola as its economy would grow. So, many sacrificed their lands and houses for the project.
But, 10 years later, many of the promises have been forgotten.
R.M. Dhanapala living in Ketakella, ‘new village’ in Puhulpola told the Sunday Times that in 2014 the villagers were segregated into three groups and his family moved into one of the areas.
“We were promised that infrastructure would be developed in the areas where we moved into. Among the facilities we were promised was roads and a community centre. In addition they said we will given a deed for the lands,” he said.
After 10 years, the family are yet to receive the deeds.
“We cannot even mortgage the land to a bank and take a loan as we do not have deeds. We cannot make use of the facility to admit a child to school. Part of the road is in a bad condition,’' he said.
According to Mr Dhanapala Rs 200,000 was spent from their own funds to rebuild the road, and they cannot afford to repeat it.
“We lived a normal life and had our own water. We were able to cultivate our own land. But today we have to purchase not only our drinking water but also water for bathing. The location where we live is hot and we cannot cultivate here due to erosion. For the sake of a Government project we have been inconvenienced and eventually we have been forced to apply for Aswesuma,’’ he said.
B.K. Milton, 69 also from the new village in Puhulpola said that he has his own business and that none of the promises given by authorities has been fulfilled.
He said that his son had received land to build a house, but since there was no income, he went to Welimada to stay with his wife’s parents.
Mangala Tennakoon, 74, said about 150 acres of their traditional farming lands were taken over and the officers who valued the lands offered Rs 25,000 a perch if the land was close to the road and Rs 15,000 if it was away from the road.
According to Mr Tennakoon they were assured one and half acres from the Handapanagala area, but later they realised that the officials had demarcated the lands by following google maps.
“When 17 of the families visited the area to inspect the land we found that the lands had been already occupied for 30 to 40 years and they had cultivated the lands. Does the state believe that the lands will be handed over to us. We cannot afford to confront those people,” he said.
The villagers had demanded alternative land, but officials offer other locations, not in the same area. Farmers say their families are in Welimada and the lands given to them are about 100 kilometres away. Had the lands been nearby, one family could take care of the lands, while other families could visit relatives in Welimada.
Nishantha de Silva who is the head of the village movement of those affected by the project said that though according to officials more than 5,000 houses were damaged, more than 15,000 houses have been damaged.
He said that even their applications for compensation payments have been misplaced and there has been several malpractices in awarding compensation.
“There are instances where one family has been paid Rs 2.2 million and a family on the same land given Rs 1 million as compensation,’' he said.
There are many who have not been compensated, he said.
Valuation officials direct them to Uma Oya project officials, he said, and when they are contacted they then point to the Divisional Secretary. No one responds.
Divisional Secretary for Welimada V.P. Jinendra said that one plantation company has filed a lawsuit about land which has been acquired for the new village in Ketakella. Since the case has ended there is a problem in issuing deeds for 26 plots.
Mr Jinendra said some of the vacant lands have been allocated for different purposes and cannot be given for cultivation.
He said valuation reports have not been received in respect of 14 families and due to shortcomings of certain officials, all public sector employees are being blamed.
Mr Jinendra said that about 111 plots have been reserved in the Handapanagala area, but 43 of the families have not been shown the lands yet.
He said a cabinet paper too, has been submitted for compensation.
However, as officials continue to drag their feet, the villagers who sacrificed their houses and lands continue to suffer.