IDP needs not neglected - District Secy

Lakshmi de Silva

The Government has taken all steps to ensure the welfare, health and other needs of IDPs especially from May this year. There are still certain practical problems that are unavoidable. The authorities had overcome these and are providing all facilities continuously for the large number of IDPs in welfare villages, District Secretary Vavuniya, P.S.M.Charles told the Daily News yesterday.

The continuing drought in the North and North Central Provinces had affected the water supply as the Malwathu oya, the main source of water supply for IDPs, had run dry. But on a directive of Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP the Mahaweli Authority had released water from Nachchaduwa reservoir 78 kilometres away from Vavuniya.

The water supply has come back to normal. Even when the Malwatu Oya ran dry the IDPs did not face a shortage of good drinking water, she said.

All services provided to IDPs are being monitored by UNHCR and they keep records even of garbage and sewerage clearing vehicles regularly, Charles said.

Another group of 1,082 IDPs were settled in Trincomalee District and 600 IDPs in Jaffna District bringing the total number of IDPs settled to 27,000, she said.

There are around 106 drinking water supply bowsers in IDP centres and villages. Due to the drought, the Malwathu Oya water project that was supplying water went dry but with the supply from Nachchaduwa reservoir, the problem is now solved. Even in Colombo some times people face such situations, Resettlement, Disaster Relief Services Ministry Secretary U.L.M. Haldeen said.