Ranavirajah:
90 marks for Govt's tsunami housing programme
By Chandani Kirinde
With foreign media reports accusing Sri Lankan authorities
of mismanaging the tsunami rehabilitation efforts and claiming that
most of the people are still living in camps and tents, Tilak Ranavirajah,
who heads the Task Force for Relief (TAFOR), claims that the process
to provide transitional houses to the displaced people is progressing
well despite problems and by the end of this month, all the displaced
people would be moved into new transitional homes.
Mr.
Ranavirajah was in the centre of a controversy about three months
ago when he, as Commissioner General of Essential Services, claimed
that tsunami aid was reaching only 30 percent of the affected people.
Excerpts from an interview he gave The Sunday Times this week:
Q:
What progress have you made with regard to the construction of transitional
homes for the tsunami-displaced?
A: Our initial estimate showed that 40,000 transitional
houses were required. Each house was to be built in a 400 square
feet area with construction cost being estimated at Rs 50,000. They
were provided with common toilets, water and electricity. We planned
to build 10,000 units before April 10 and another 20,000 before
end of May. By May 27, 31,819 houses had been completed and another
8,959 were in progress. We are now planning to build 7,000 more
transitional houses to meet the new demand.
Q:
But many displaced people are still living in camps and tents?
A: It is true there are people in camps and tents. Once
the houses were completed, people in camps can shift. We have a
problem because even after moving to transitional homes, some people
don't remove the tents. They keep a family member or two in the
tents so that they could continue to get tsunami relief, especially
from foreign NGOs and visitors. I had a meeting with foreign and
local NGO officials to discuss the housing programme. They expressed
satisfaction on the progress of work. When I asked them how many
marks they would give to the work done, many said more than 90.
Q:
What about the complaints regarding transitional homes?
A: I am not saying everything is perfect. In some cases,
the transitional homes are not built to the stipulated guidelines.
Some are smaller than we planned and in some cases the material
used is inferior, toilet and sanitation aspects are not satisfactory
and in some sites there is no electricity. We are concentrating
on the first two weeks of this month on improving and upgrading
these houses.
Q:
How many persons are still in camps and tents?
A: According to figures, there are about 11,000 families
living in tents and camps but actually it is about 9000. Once the
houses are completed, the people will be asked to move in. We have
to take these numbers in perspective. We had 733 camps initially
with 232,000 families. Five months after, only 9,000 families are
living in camps and tents and for them houses are being built.
Q:
Does that mean all the displaced people will be in transitional
homes by the end of this month?
A: By the end of the month, we hope to move out all of
them. Yes, there will be the odd ones in the tents.
Q:
Once the people are moved out, why aren't the tents removed?
A: We are reluctant to do that. We have to handle it carefully.
We have to persuade those who stay behind to leave by telling them
if they are not affected, they must return to their houses. We must
convince them rather than force them.
Q:
Is every family entitled to a transitional house entitled to a permanent
house as well?
A: When we provided shelter, we did not try to verify whether
their houses were damaged or whether they were affected. We felt
it was our obligation to provide shelter to all those who did not
have a place to live. However, the Task Force for Rebuilding the
Nation (TAFREN) will go through a verification process with the
help of the Government Agent and the Census and Statistics Department
when permanent houses are provided. Before they construct the houses,
they will identify the recipients and this process has already started.
Q:
What is the present status of the proposed buffer zone?
A: The decision to impose a buffer zone was taken mainly
for safety reasons. Scientists have said there is new seismic activity
in the Indian Ocean region and it is not safe living very close
to the sea. At a meeting of all party leaders this was discussed
and the Urban Development Authority suggested a 100-meters buffer
zone for the south and west and 200 meters for the north and east.
The
extend area for the north and east is because the water reach in
these areas is more as was seen on December 26. This move is entirely
due to geographical reasons. Recently, the UNHCR did a survey (among
the tsunami affected people in Sri Lanka) and 65 percent said they
don't want to live in the coastal areas while only around 20-25
percent wanted to live close to the coast while the rest had expressed
some fears about living close to the sea. However, the President
has appointed a committee to recommend guidelines for the establishment
of the buffer zone. I am one of its members as Chairman of TAFOR.
The chairman of TAFREN and secretaries to several ministries are
in this 13-member committee headed by the Secretary to the President. |
