News - Victims still in camps

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Victims still in camps

By Gamini Mahadura

One and a half years after the tsunami, more than 4500 affected families in Galle district are still to get permanent houses and are therefore languishing in refugee camps.

The refugees have appealed to those authorities to give them houses as early as possible as they have gone through much misery already.

There was immense loss of life and property caused by the tsunami in the divisional secretariat areas of Hikkaduwa, Balapitiya, Ambalangoda, Bentota, Habaraduwa and Galle Gravets. As many as 10,360 families in the Hikkaduwa Pradeshiya Sabha area were affected and more than 3000 houses were destroyed, while over 2000 perished in the train tragedy at Peraliya.

The Galle district restoration and development unit has estimated that over 14,650 houses have to be built to house the tsunami displaced. However, only 1157 houses were built with benefactors’ funds which poured in, in the wake of the disaster while 482 more houses are in the final stages of construction. Construction is proceeding on another 1380 houses with donations provided by benefactors.

In Galle district alone 6083 houses were partially damaged and work on 5722 of them has been completed with the Rs. 100,000 grant for each house given by the State. 2419 houses completely destroyed are to be repaired by owners themselves for which the State is giving a grant of Rs. 250,000 each in four stages.

The first instalment of Rs. 50,000 has been issued to 2,419 builders while the second instalment of Rs. 60,000 has been issued to 2,220 builders and the third instalment of Rs. 80,000 rupees issued to 2,008 builders.

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