SLEJF to identify best tsunami projects

The Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum (SLEJF) is organising a promotional programme in coincidence with the first remembrance of Tsunami Disaster on December 26 to identify best tsunami projects that have been carried out last year and have been continuing. Projects that are being carried out at present aiming at tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction will also be included into this programme, a SLEJF media release said.

Through this programme the forum hopes to identify 10 best tsunami rehabilitation projects in Sri Lanka, verify their authenticity and publish them through media, books as well as by website. This information will be distributed nationally and internationally.

Any project relating to social welfare, youth and children, counselling programmes, agriculture, fisheries, development, schools and housing construction targeted to tsunami affected or tsunami reconstruction and meet the basic criteria of the programme may apply.

Applications can be made by any individual who is attached to the government, NGOs, INGOs, international organisations, welfare organisations or public and private sector. From the entries the forum will shortlist at least 10 of the most promising projects and verify the authenticity of those projects by field investigations and other means. The details of Tsunami Rehabilitation Projects must be sent to the Co-ordinator, Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum, 7B, Albert Perera Mawatha, Nugegoda or by phone 011 - 2817803, 2769592.

Total number of deaths in Sri Lanka by tsunami disaster amounts to 31,229 and 4,100 have disappeared, 516,150 were displaced and 250,000 houses were wiped out by tsunami within few minutes.