Lives of 2,000 students in danger

The Devapathiraja Central College in Ratgama, Galle is one of the biggest tsunami-affected school’s in the Galle district; however construction work at this school is dragging on ever so slowly and more than 2,000 students are forced to study in damaged buildings which are on the verge of collapse.

Project funds estimated at Rs. 289 million were provided by the Japanese government to provide the destroyed school with 53 classrooms, laboratories, a library, music, arts and dancing rooms, a computer room, office rooms, staff rooms, quarters for teachers and principal, sanitary facilities, a pavilion, a hall constructed on a 10 ½ acre block of land away from the sea. The new building was expectged to be handed over to the Education Ministry on November last year.

However Upul Ranasinghe, Programme Manager of the Tsunami Education Rehabilitation Monitor (TERM) which falls under the Ministry of Education said that concerns over quality of material used in the construction had raised concerns among engineers, and this had slowed down work on the consrtruction. He said the Moratuwa University was carrying out tests on three buildings and construction work on these buildings had been halted. He added that he expected work on the three buildings to be completed soon.

Meanwhile villagers, past pupils and parents expressed concern over the slow pace of construction, as students are housed in buildings which were damaged by the Tsunami. They charge that it is very unsafe and point out that during the rainy season last year two buildings had collapsed. Parents and past pupils said they feared the buildings could collapse on the children at any moment. They point out that the school which conducts classes from Grade 6 -1 3 has more than 2,000 students. Every year over 200 new students are enrolled from five primary schools in the area. They add that each grade six class has over 45 students who are cramped in small rooms which are on the verge of collapse.

It is reported that the Past Pupils Association has complained to the Commission for Bribery and Corruption. The Embassy of Japan refusing to comment on the issue and suggested contacting the JICA (Japan International Co-operation Agency). A spokesman of JICA which is the procurement agent to both Japanese and Sri Lankan governments, said the site has been closed for approximately one-and-a- half months, but expressed hope that matters could be sorted out and construction work could be completed by March 31.

A senior official of the State Engineering Corporation, which oversees construction and plays a supervisor role, said that the site has been closed during November and December due to clashes between the villagers and the contractors. The official added that there was a period when no resident engineer was present. She said the engineer had left the site due to pressure exerted by local villagers.

Speaking further the official said the though the principal of the school had wanted the buildings to be handed over by the end of March and the contractors had promised to complete construction activities by the end of March, the Moratuwa University had still not completed its investigation into whether low quality material had been used in construction of the buildings. In an earlier report on March 4, 2007 The Sunday Times reported that complaints and charges abounded of shortcomings in construction titled “Chalk for cheese at the Ratgama School”.