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| Wednesday, 23 February 2005 |
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District Project Offices will be set up in each of the tsunami affected districts with immediate effect to co-ordinate and expedite activities regarding the construction of a total of 30,000 temporary houses for displaced families under the Transitional Accommodation Project (TAP) within the next three months as a crash programme, states a press release from the Commissioner General of Essential Services. The Commissioner General of Essential Services who has been tasked by the Government with the implementation of the project has directed the Government Agents/District Secretariats to set up these offices within the next few days. Already a Project Office of the Transitional Accommodation Project has been set up at the premises of Salu Sala Head Office at Jawatte Road, Colombo to co-ordinate activities. The Transitional Accommodation Project has been launched to provide somewhat decent temporary housing units with adequate ventilation and sanitation standards to those families now housed in tents and other makeshift shelters at welfare centres till they are settled in permanent and durable housing units which would take a longer period to construct. A large number of international and national agencies including several United Nations Agencies like UNCHR, UNICEF, International Organisation of Migrants, I.L.O., Oxfam, Karitas have come forward to finance and assist in the provision of these temporary housing. The Commissioner General of Essential Services, Tilak Ranaviraja has already held a series of consultations with UNCHR, IOM and other international non-governmental organisations who have come forward to assist as well as state officials handling the programme regarding the strategies of implementing of the project including the extent of assistance NGOs would provide, the type of temporary housing and material used, their procurements and identification of land to put up these transitional shelters. At another round of consultations held on Monday (20th February) this time with Government Agents and District Secretaries of the affected districts including from North and East in attendance the details of the Transitional Accommodation Project were finalised and the strategy of implementation worked out. Ranavirajah told the NGOs that the Government would provide the necessary facilities and concessions in the import of material like timber and roofing material for these shelters. The shelters should be put up on a uniform type plan as provided by government and each such housing unit should be a two roomed house with proper ventilation of 200 to 300 square feet of floor area. Each housing unit would be built to last between 12 to 18 months and the cost of each housing unit should not exceed Rs. 30,000 to 35,000. He said that the Government Agents would take immediate steps to set up the District Project Office with an experienced land officer and technical officers manning the office. The respective NGO who have undertaken to put up temporary shelters will work closely with these District Offices in the implementation of the project and the District Secretaries should provide all facilities and administrative support in the district towards the success of the programme. While the NGOs will fund the project the procurement of material needed, provision of labour would be the responsibility of the Government. As a major part of the temporary housing units will be made of timber it has been estimated that only 20 per cent of the requirements could be provided locally. The balance would be imported. A donor OXFAM has already undertaken to provide the required timber free of charge. OXFAM representative informed that 31,000 cubic meters of Australian Pine timber of 2 ins. x 3 ins. and 2 ins. x 2 ins. lengths would be imported for the construction of these temporary shelters. Minimum of cement would be used for the flooring while the walls would be made of wood or cadjan depending on the area. Roofing will be made of Anton Shelta type, zinc sheets or cadjan. Ranaviraja said that there is plenty of cadjan available in North and East and also there is offer of cadjan from the coconut triangle area. Ranaviraja said that the District Secretaries should identify the lands to put up these temporary housing units and such land should be free of any encumbrances. They also could put up these housing on land belonging to the victims so that when it comes to building their permanent home on the same land the family members could also contribute their input while the temporary house could be made use of for any other purpose. Several District Secretaries also indicated the number of temporary shelters required and the arrangements they have already made in consultation of the NGO who have agreed to work in the areas. Ranaviraja said that while certain NGO will be playing a lead role in certain areas other NGOs too could join in assisting the programme through the district project office. While the activities will be decentralised and decisions taken at district level the head office would intervene only when it comes to policy matters. As regards the requirements of carpenters and other labour required to put up these houses Mr. Ranaviraja said that the Services Coordinating Officers appointed to district too could assist in obtaining the series of Armed Forces personnel if required. In addition there are Home Guard personnel who could also be made use of. |
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