Massive boulders moving down at Pattiyagama in Central province of Sri Lanka

101 persons from 26 families have been displaced due to massive boulders moving down at Pattiyagama in Deltota in central province of Sri Lanka. தெல்தொட்ட பிரதேச செயலகத்திற்குட்பட்ட பட்டியகம பிரதேசத்தில் பாரிய கற்கள் நகர்வு காரணமாக 26 குடும்பங்களை சேர்ந்த 101 பேர் இடம்பெயர்ந்துள்ளனர். இடம்பெயர்ந்த மக்கள் தெல்தொட்ட மலைமகள் இந்து கல்லூரியில் குடியமர்த்தப்பட்டுள்ளதாக தெரிவிக்கப்படுகின்றது. இந்த மக்களுக்கு தேவையான, உலர் உணவுப் பொருட்கள் மற்றும் தங்குமிட வசதிகள் என்பன பிரதேச செயலகத்தின் அனர்த்த முகாமைத்துவ பிரிவினரினால் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டு வருகின்றது. இதேவேளை பாதிக்கப்பட்ட மக்கள் கருத்து தெரிவிக்கையில், குறித்த மக்களுக்கு தேவையான ஆரம்ப கட்ட வசதிகள் யாவும் பூர்த்தியாகி உள்ளதாகவும், அடுத்த கட்டமாக நிரந்தர வீடுகளுக்கு செல்ல சம்பந்தப்பட்டவர்கள் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் எனவும் கூறியுள்ளனர். இதன்போது பாதிக்கப்பட்ட மக்கள் கருத்து தெரிவிக்கையில், நாங்கள் அடிக்கடி கடந்த 05 வருடங்களாக இந்த அபாய நிலைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டு குறித்த பாடசாலையில் தங்கியிருந்து மீண்டும் வீட்டுக்குத் திரும்பியுள்ளதாகவும் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளனர். இதேவேளை, இதுவரை காலமும் எந்த விதமான தீர்வும் எமக்கு கிடைக்கவில்லை எனவும், இந்த முறையாவது உரிய தீர்வு கிடைக்கவேண்டும் எனவும் இதன்போது பாதிக்கப்பட்ட மக்கள் வேண்டுகோள் விடுத்திருந்தமை குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

subsidence in Pussellawa- Displaced 45 families

புஸ்ஸல்லாவையில் நிலம் தாழ் இறக்கம் - 45 குடும்பங்கள் இடம் பெயர்வு உடபளாத்த பிரதேச செயலகத்திற்கு உட்பட்ட கோகம தோட்டத்தில் தொடர்ந்து பெய்து வரும் மழையால் நிலம் தாழ் இறங்கியுள்ளது. இதனால் லயன் குடியிருப்பு தொகுதிகள் வெடிப்புற்ற நிலையில் 45 குடும்பங்களைச் சேர்ந்த 147 பேர் இடம்பெயர்ந்துள்ளதாக தெரிவிக்கப்படுகின்றது. இவ்வாறு இடம்பெயர்ந்துள்ள மக்கள் கெலேகால கிராமத்தின் புஸ்ஸல்லாவ சரஸ்வதி மத்திய கல்லூரியில் தற்காலிகமாக தங்க வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர். குறித்த பகுதியிலுள்ள மக்களுக்கு, பிரதேச செயலகத்தின் அனர்த்த முகாமைத்துவ பிரிவினரினால் உலர்உணவு பொருட்கள் உட்பட அனைத்து வசதிகளும் செய்து கொடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.பாதிப்புக்குள்ளான மக்கள் கருத்து தெரிவிக்கையில், “எங்களுக்கு தேவையான ஆரம்பகட்ட வசதிகள் யாவும் பூர்த்தியாகி உள்ளது, அடுத்த கட்டமாக எங்களுக்கு தற்காலிக வீடுகள் அமைப்பதற்கும் தொடர்ந்து நிரந்தர வீடுகளுக்கு செல்லவும் சம்பந்தப்பட்டவர்கள் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்” என கேட்டுக் கொண்டார்கள்.

Civil Society Statement in Solidarity with the up country People affected by the landslide in Meeriyabadde, Koslanda in Badulla District

The tragedy at Meeriyabedde estate in the Huldumulla Division on 29^th October, 2014 has killed scores of up-country men, women and children. It has displaced hundreds of families from their homes and has forced them to take shelter in other places. It has created panic among thousands of vulnerable families in the hill country area.
We express our deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. We share the pain of those families whose members are trapped in the landslide and are considered missing. Our heart felt sympathies are also with those who have been injured, those that have lost their houses and all their belongings and are currently in IDP camps with uncertainty about their future.  
We are heartened by the outpouring of grief expressed by people of Sri Lanka and the relief assistance that has been arriving from several parts of the country to the survivors. We appreciate the efforts of officials and agencies that are taking care of the survivors. The grief due to such tragedy is shared by people across ethnic and religious divides and is indicative of the common humanity that binds us all together. Such natural disasters also forces us to think about caring for our environment.
But we are outraged by the fact that this was a completely avoidable tragedy. If the government and the relevant officials had intervened and taken appropriate action in a timely manner, the people would have been saved from this tragedy. We blame the government and the plantation company (Maskeliya Plantations of the Richard Peiris Group) for their callousness and criminal negligence. We hold the Government and the Plantation Company responsible for the deaths of these upcountry women, men and children.

We endorse the ‘8 point demand’ articulated by the directly affected community and would like to see that their voice is heard and responded to by the Government.

We believe that the scale of the loss was directly a result of the political, economic and social marginalization of the up-country Tamil people. As long as they remain a discriminated segment of the population that the Government of Sri Lanka doesn’t take full responsibility for and ensures that they are treated equally in terms of land, housing and other rights the situation will not improve. Meeriyabedde should be taken as a wake-up call to ensure equality.

We are shocked and outraged by the lack of action by the government despite clear and persistent warnings for nearly a decade. Though the risk of landslide and areas vulnerable had been identified as early as 2005 and in several subsequent assessments by NBRO – the preventive and mitigation actions had not been taken resulting in the deaths and destruction. We deplore the shifting of blame to one department or the other and demand that the Government takes responsibility and immediate disciplinary action against those who had not done their jobs over the period. We are distressed that the threat potential and evacuation orders even in the last days were not communicated to the vulnerable people with required urgency. We deplore the ignorant statements by certain ministers and officials to blame the victims for the disaster.

We condemn the Plantation Company for their continued and criminal negligence. This is indicative of the disregard for the lives and welfare of workers who have toiled for generations in these estates to enrich its owners and the country. We are shocked at their denial of knowledge of landslide risk and other lies when there is clear evidence to the contrary. Their refusal to face the affected people and the media and assume responsibility for their actions is contemptible. We are yet to see a public statement from the Company regarding the tragedy. Unless the company steps up to their responsibility we will be compelled to reach out the buyers of their products and the consumers to raise this issue.

We demand that the Government and the Company immediately announce and implement plans for compensation for loss of lives, livelihoods and property and safe relocation and resettlement for the affected families. We ask that safe lands be identified in proximate locations that will enable the families to continue their livelihoods and resources be allocated for constructing houses that are at least of the same standard as the ones being given to war-affected families.

We demand the land and housing promised for upcountry Tamils in the national budgets of 2012 and 2014 be adequately resourced and implemented. We note with dismay that despite grand promises not a single cent has been actually allocated for the purpose.

We have no confidence in the police inquiry announced by the President. We demand that an impartial inquiry team consisting of professionals, including members from the up-country Tamils and experts in disaster risks be appointed, be given a specific time frame and the report be made public.

We also demand that a more wider disaster risk reduction action plan covering the up-country area is developed in consultation with the experts and vulnerable communities and is followed through as a national priority. We ask that the leaders representing the plantation community call for a special session in the Parliament to deliberate and decide on this. 

While we are heartened by the relief efforts we have concerns regarding the immediate rescue operations, subsequent search operations and resettlement activities:  

The inability to even ascertain the number of deaths and missing even after five days with any degree of certainty and the irresponsible, insensitive and wildly varying accounts by the Minister of Disaster Management, no less, is indicative of the collective disregard for the up-country Tamil people. Correct information about deaths and missing should be communicated clearly through the media channels on a regular basis in a responsible and sensitive manner.

The search operations are being conducted solely by the Army, Navy and Air force. It has been very slow and done haltingly. There is no sense of urgency. There is no indication that specialized equipment or expertize is being utilized. The people from the area – who are very conversant with the terrain and are experienced in working in these mountains – are not being utilized. It is a sad indictment that the community that is most experienced and knowledgeable about the terrain has to stand by and watch young recruits from military with little experience are used to conduct digging operations. It is an internationally accepted norm that technical assistance should be sought globally in such disasters and that the community be involved in the post-disaster decision making.

The families are keen that the operation be continued till the fate of the last person is established and bodies are accounted for. They fear that the search may be discontinued. It is imperative that the authorities involve the affected community and provide them with regular updates on the progress of the search operation.

The management of the relief camps should be completely left to the civilian authorities and military should not have any role. Ensuring a safe environment in and around the camps should be the responsibility of Police.

The military using the temple premises as their operational command, though may have been necessary at the beginning, should now be changed in order to restore the sanctity of the shrine. They should move out of the temple.

The management of the camps and the responders are almost exclusively Sinhala speaking with little bilingual ability whereas the affected community is tamil speaking with bilingual ability. It is important that when dealing with needs assessment, counseling, consultation and communication on future course of action etc that it be done in the language that the affected community is most conversant with.

The affected families should be given freedom of movement and be able to meet and interact with their friends and relatives freely.

The families in the displacement shelters must be given full information as to the next steps. Where will they be moved from the schools? What is the transitional arrangement? Does that meet adequate standards? Will they be able to go back to their old places? Where will land be allocated and is it agreeable to them? When will land be allocated and when will houses be built?

Lessons from previous disasters in terms of camp management and resettlement should be adopted when dealing with the affected community. Particular attention should be paid to ensure that women are involved in decision-making and the concerns of women and children are adequately incorporated in the relief and resettlement activities.