65 pc of tsunami hit shun buffer zone
 

by Ramani Kangaraarachchi and Irangika Range

A UNCHR research has revealed that 65 per cent of the tsunami affected Sri Lankans have refused to live within the buffer zone. Task Force for Relief Chairman, Tilak Ranaviraja said only 20 per cent have insisted that they want to live in the coastal belt.

He said that a committee has been appointed comprising foreign experts to make recommendations to the Government to decide whether the displaced people would be resettled in the buffer zone.

"The decision of the committee will be announced in four weeks. However any resettlement in the buffer zone will take place only after a further study and following the establishment of an effective early warning system and disaster management system", he said.

Ranaviraja said the issue of the buffer zone is not so serious as implied by various people.

World Bank Country Director Peter Harrold said this issue should be looked at in a flexible and humane manner.

TAFREN Chairman, Mano Tittawella said most of the affected families have been moved from the emergency shelters to transitional housing units by now.

"We have provided 30,000 shelters by the end of May. Eventhough these provide more protection in adverse weather, everyone is waiting impatiently to move into a permanent house and start building their lives," he said.

Thousand six hundred permanent houses have already been built and a large portion will be completed by next year. He said the houses are built only by donors and not the Government. "The Government is only facilitating them," Tittawella said.

Building permanent houses is a time consuming process that involves the acquisition of suitable land and preparation of plans and BOQs, getting approvals and hiring contractors for the actual construction. "Donors, NGOs and the private sector are playing a vital role in the complex task of building permanent houses for tsunami affected families," Tittawella said.