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A long hard road
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Kumari Disanayake
Amidst ‘development’ processes taking place around the country, residents of Madugastalawa, Perapitiya, Passara have been deprived of many basic facilities including roads.
D M Chandradasa
Even though they have made requests from respective authorities, officers have failed to provide for basic amenities, such as asphalted/paved roads, and bridges.
To reach this village, one has to take a bus from Passara to Madugastalawa which is about 9km away, and from there you have to cross a stream for about 4km and walk on a difficult road.
D M Chandradasa said, “Like Perapitiya, these nearby villages are also fertile, and can yield a good harvest. We lack nothing else. We just need to take our harvest to town, and there is no other way. Taking produce to Madugastalawa in a carriage costs 15 to 20 rupees per kilo. From there you have to take a three wheeler to reach Madugastalwa town which costs another Rs 1,000.”
Kaveesha Ruwanthi
Pix and text by Wijerathna Rathnayaka in Hali Ella
Villagers, including schoolchildren, have to walk the distance. through uneven paths.
Kumari Dissanayake said, “We send our children to school around 5.30 in the morning as we have to walk to Madugastalawa. Nowadays it is very dangerous to walk on these deserted roads. There are three streams along the way. The road goes under water during heavy rains.”
Kaveesha Ruwanthi (a student) said, “I get to school by going through bushes and streams. The bus service does not function as our village is not located on the mainline.”
