Disputes arise over land for displaced in Aranayake landslide
As authorities battle to find suitable land to resettle those displaced in the landslides in Aranayaka, a fresh controversy has arisen with villagers living in areas demarcated as being vulnerable also demanding alternate land.
According to Kegalle District Secretary W.M. Abeywickrama Wanasooriya, of the 3,000 families displaced only 1,800 families have been identified as being eligible for compensation, but over 1,000 other families were also demanding land.
He said the government planned to provide houses to the 1,800 identified families who lived in high risk areas. Apart from these families, another 252 families would also get houses as their homes were damaged beyond repair.
He added, “two hundred and fifty-two houses were completely destroyed. The owners of these houses too will be provided with alternate land and housing similar to that of people who lived in high risk zones” he said
Mr. Wanasooriya said there are 14 camps in which people displaced by landslides are housed. Lands had been earmarked and the people had been provided with tents until the government constructed houses for them.
“Another group of displaced persons are housed in schools and temples, these people are being shifted from camp to camp as and when schools re-open," he said
He explained that people from vulnerable areas too were staying at displaced persons camps claiming their homes were endangered and unlivable. This group too was requesting alternate housing land.
“The Government has asked these people to return to their homes as roads etc had been reconstructed. Government had also promised to provide this group with measures to protect their homes he added.
However people are refusing to leave the camps claiming they fear another landslide. They also claim their houses have been damaged beyond repair.
Sixty-five-year-old N. Ilanagaratna, a resident of Egilipitiya Colony in the Thongimale area said all residents of the colony were not willing to return to their houses in fear that another landslide could occur once the rains recommence.
He said officials had ordered them to return to their homes, but it was not possible as they had no means of transport as the roads were destroyed and they had lost everything to the landslides.
Another displaced person said they abandoned their houses after the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) warned them to evacuate. But now the same organisation was claiming it was safe to return.
However Aranayake Divisonal secretary Z.A.M. Fizal, said 48 acres of land from an estate in Wasanthagama had been appropriated but were awaiting the report from the NBRO regarding the safety of the area. Anticipating that the land was in a safe area, a foundation stone for the housing project was laid on Thursday, he said.The District Secretary said around 57 families who had lost their houses due to the landslide were living in tents.
“We faced a few difficulties over the past few months as a school in the area had refused permission to use its grounds to erect temporaryshelters for the displaced. As such some affected families were forced to live in tents he said.
A few private businessmen were also supporting government's effort to construct homes for the displaced, and were awaiting the NBRO report to see whether the selected area was safe to start construction.
He emphasisd that only those people living in danger zone identified by the NBRO, as well as those whose houses were destroyed would be provided housing via government schemes.
Villagers from areas identified as possible vulnerable areas had been requested to return to their houses, as the Government had promised to provide measures to ensure the safety of their homes in addition to constructing roads to their houses.