Salawa residents want more money due to ‘blast vibrations’
Disheartened Salawa residents whose properties were damaged in the massive explosion in the army armoury in town on June 6 are questioning the valuation method used to pay compensation, claiming there is continuing cracking in walls and floors and other structural damage.
They are also displeased that the cost of the roofs renovated by the army is being deducted from the recently issued government compensation estimates for damaged properties.
L. M. Renuka Priyadharshani, owner of a small shop in Salawa, says she is frightened to live in her home, built two months ago with all her husband’s earnings from working overseas, because its structure had been damaged from the explosion’s vibrations.
She said the valuers estimated Rs. 85,000 as compensation for the damage even though her house and shop were just 50m away from the blast. Worse, the estimate given by the army for the cost of the repaired roof took away a third of that amount.
Another resident, Walter Nagahawatta, said the government estimate of the cost of repairs to his property was Rs. 384,000 but that the contractor who built the house had said the structure had been damaged beyond repair. The contractor had recommended the house be demolished and rebuilt and estimated this could cost Rs. 7 million.
Mr. Nagahawatte, 74, had been informed that Rs. 260,000 of the Rs. 384,000 in compensation would be deducted from the army as the cost of the roof renovation.
He said his son had invested all his earnings to build the house before his marriage, six months prior to the explosion.
“My son has nothing left. This house was all he had and this incident has turned his life upside down. His only hope is to get rightful compensation for the damage,” Mr. Nagahawatta said.
M.A. Dhammi Bimalka was shocked when told the valuation for the damage to the walls, roof, doorframes and doors of her home was Rs. 10,000, saying the army had said she could get up to Rs. 51,000. She had spent Rs. 10,000 to repair the doors. The army had told her the cost of replacing two asbestos sheets and a beam in her roof, plus army labour charges, would be deducted from the government compensation.
Nilmini Dhanjala, Arapangama, who lives some 400m away from the army camp and is to be awarded Rs. 30,000 – with the cost of roof repairs deducted – said some of the cracks on the walls were widening every day and she feared to live in such conditions.
Farmer D. Somadasa, 74, said farmers were apprehensive about being injured by any unexploded shells among small pieces of ordnance still lying scattered in paddy fields. The regional army commander, MajorGeneral Sudantha Ranasinghe, said the army guaranteed the safety of the area.
Farmers had been asked to inform the army if they came across shell remnants while working in their fields, he said, giv-
My son has nothing left. This house was all he had and this incident has turned his life upside down. His only hope is to get rightful compensation for the damage
ing an assurance that any such fragments would be harmless.
He said the army had completed renovation of 1,032 roofs as requested by residents and that a Rs. 1 million program to provide two sets of school uniforms each to 869 students from homes damaged by the blast was in operation.
The Valuation Department’s Chief Valuer, P.D.D.S. Muthukumarana, said only a fifth of Salawa residents had asked for new valuations and her department would re-estimate property damage if requested by the Divisional Secretariat.
Ms. Muthukumarana said estimates were based on the existing market value of building materials.
If blast vibrations had caused continuing damage and the Divisional Secretary believed an increased compensation payout was warranted a government structural engineer would be despatched to inspect the sites and prepare a report on the struc- tural integrity of the buildings, she said.
In such cases, research conducted by institutions such as National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) would be taken into consideration along with appeals made by the residents.
The department had completed 1,953 reports on damaged properties since early June and officials were working on 300 more reports.
The Minister of Disaster Management, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, said Rs. 1179.6 million had been allocated as compensation for Salawa victims.
The Minister said 1,404 victims would receive compensation up to Rs. 100,000 compensation; 390 would receive compensation of Rs. 100,000-1,000,000 and 237 others would receive amounts in excess of Rs. 1,000,000.
A rental allowance of Rs. 50,000 was being provided to 700 home-owners and 59 shop owners while a Rs. 10,000 allowance had been given to 315 three-wheeler taxi drivers and shop employees whose livelihoods had been affected by the blast.