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| Wednesday, 8 September 2004 |
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Politics | |
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| Provision of drought relief through State funding only a temporary solution - Minister Tennekoon Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon said provision of drought relief to victims of the recent drought through state funding or other means was only a temporary solution to this problem. A permanent solution would be to strengthen the people to enable them to face such catastrophes and challenges on their own. His ministry hoped to launch such a program to strengthen the people in consultation with regional local government heads and Provincial Council authorities. Minister Tennekoon said this when he addressed a meeting held at the Galewela Divisional Secretariat to mark the distribution of dry rations worth Rs. 1 million among 250 farmer families affected by the drought recently. Minister Tennekoon who said that he was pleased to participate in a ceremony to mark the distribution of food and other relief among drought victims even in a small measure said floods, droughts and other natural disasters were not uncommon in the country's history. During the reign of King Walagamba the country had witnessed a 14 year drought. The country had again experienced a drought during the reign of King Sanghatissa. It was to solve this problem that kings such as Mahasen, Dhatusena and Parakramabahu the Great built tanks and other massive irrigation systems. The tank network helped the people to overcome drought conditions by distributing the water resource throughout the country. The destruction caused to our irrigation system by colonial rulers had caused a helpless situation to the people again. Therefore preservation of our valuable water resources was mandatory if we were to find a solution to the drought conditions experienced from time to time. The Government which clearly understood this situation has launched a pragmatic program to renovate 10,000 tanks in the country. Twenty five temporary water tanks were also distributed among the Walaswewa, Ranwediyawa, Bulanawewa, Galpamula, Bailinkanda, Kumbukgolla, Damunumulla, Pattiwela, Wetakuluwewa, Ihala Bambawa and Weragalawatta Grama Niladhari Divisions to store water during emergencies. |
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