3,500 fishermen to benefit from Batticaloa lagoon clean-up

The livelihoods of more than 3,500 people in the local fishing community of Batticaloa will be restored through a project funded by the United States of America to remove the tsunami rubble and debris which was impeded the revival of the fishing industry, states a US Embassy press release.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) program, has hired heavy equipment and assembled multi-disciplinary teams of engineers and technicians, including divers from the Sri Lanka Navy. Other partners in the clean-up include local elected government officials and civil servants, police, fishing societies, the multi-ethnic National Youth Services Council, and a large contingent of volunteer youth.

"This project is a real community effort, fostering relationships between local government authorities and civil society," said USAID's Timoty L. Bertotti at the project's launch. "It will bring together diverse youth from throughout the district to restore a significant local landmark and resource."

Despite the high priority on cleaning up the area, the logistical difficulty in bringing together the necessary expertise has hampered progress thus far. The OTI grant for the project, valued at more than $71,000, has finally permitted all the necessary actors to come together to begin the project.

"We hope this project cannot only re-start the livelihoods of fishermen in Batticaloa, but also serve as a symbol to the recovery of the community after the tsunami," said Mike DeSisti, Country Representative for OTI. "Without the participation of the government agent's office, the Municipal Council, the Navy, and the local police, this endeavour would never have been possible." The clean-up is expected to be completed by the end of September.

The USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) program seeks to generate greater support for a negotiated peace settlement through small-grant activities that aim to increase collaboration and participation among diverse groups, or to create awareness and increase understanding of key transition issues. Since USAID initiated the program March 2003, OTI has signed 399 small-grant agreements - mostly with local organisations - totalling more than $ 11 million.