Operations on to restore infrastructure in N'Eliya

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: As the weather improved the Government machinery rolled into action assisted by the Security Forces and the Police yesterday to restore the badly affected infrastructure in landslide-hit Walapane and Hanguranketa in the Nuwara Eliya district.

More than 15,000 persons in Walapane and Hanguranketa were still housed in small camps after being evacuated from the hilly areas said to be landslides prone at any moment due to the weather conditions that prevailed since last Wednesday.

Authorities rushed work gangs to restore electricity and telecommunication facilities in Hanguranketa and Walapane, Estate Infrastructure and Livestock Development Minister C. B. Ratnayake told the Daily News yesterday

"Most roads that were rendered inaccessible due to landslides have been cleared with the help of about six or seven back-hoes and other machinery and we are in the process of finding alternative roads for those who have been marooned due to landslides," the Minister said.

He said search operations were continuing to locate missing people following the landslides. At the initial stage, the Minister said, the officials took steps to evacuate the people from landslide-affected areas and landslide prone areas amidst heavy rains and were in the process of providing them with cooked meals and other requirements.

"The biggest challenge before us is to provide at least temporary shelter for the people who had lost their houses due to landslides and for those evacuated from landslide prone areas," the Minister remarked.

According to Minister Ratnayake, 11,400 people in Walapane and 3,800 people in Hanguranketa are now being sheltered in nearly 40 small camps.

"At least 800 families who have been evacuated from the affected areas and landslide prone areas have to be resettled in safer places in Hanguranketa and Walapane," Minister Ratnayake added.

According to Prof Kapila Dahanayake of the Peradeniya University's Geological Department, more than 50 per cent of the landmass in Walapane is prone to landslides.Minister Ratnayake said a committee headed by Prof. Kapila Dahanayake and Dr. Kehelpannala has been appointed to identify landslide prone areas to facilitate the resettlement of people.

Meanwhile, Resettlement Minister Ameer Ali told the Daily News that he is scheduled to meet Minister C. B. Ratnayaka and the other Ministers and community leaders today at Walapane to discuss ways of resettling the affected people.The Disaster Management Centre yesterday reported 81 households facing landslides threats have been evacuated by 10 a.m. yesterday.

In addition people in 15 houses at Dharaoya, Pilapitiya in Hanguranketa and eight houses in Rikillagaskada Pilapitiya were also evacuated due to landslide threats.

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Assist landslide affected

Estate Infrastructure and Livestock Development Minister yesterday made a request to donors to assist the landslide affected people in Walapane and Hanguranketa to rebuild their houses by at least providing them with zinc sheets for temporary shelters and other building materials to construct their houses.