Alternative land for flood victims

Not allowed to alienate land once occupied:

Nimal Wijesinghe - Anuradhapura additional district group

The North Central Provincial Council initiated a programme where families who depend on flood relief at times of unexpected flood will be offered permanent land to reside and cultivate.

They will not be allowed to alienate such land once occupied.

North Central Chief Minister Ranjith Samarakoon said information on flood victims in 2010/2011 and 2012/2013 will be analysed in selecting the families to offer alternate land and other facilities.

Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera toured in Anuradhapura recently and visited the inundated areas.

At the District Disaster Coordination Meeting, he said flood relief measures such as sheltering destitute families in welfare centres, providing food etc will be carried out.

He said measures will be taken to discontinue sending people to vulnerable areas.

He added that the government is planning to settle them in safer lands providing them with basic living facilities.

Around 4,500 families were made to stay in welfare centres during the last two weeks due to floods. Most were living in the low lands along the banks of Kalu Ganga, Malwathu Oya, Yan Oya and main feeding canals of reservoirs.

"They are currently returning to their homes in these areas. In the future, measures will be taken to stop this," he said.

He added that arrangement are made to conduct a mobile service called Ranbima Arunalu covering the province at DS division level to provide solutions to the people's problems.

Under this programme, the issue of families returning to vulnerable areas will be taken up and they will be offered alternative land for living and cultivation on acceptable land grants on priority basis. Plans are also underway to find land for families who do not own land under new irrigation development projects and renovations, the chief minister said.

Earlier, there was a fear of another flood threat resulting from more heavy rains. Spill gates of Nachchaduwa reservoir and Malwathu Oya which started overflowing, were opened.

The flood threat put residents living along their banks in to difficulty since they already reoccupied their houses just two days back after flood water subsided. Anuradhapura district Disaster Management Assistant Secretary Saranga Vithanage said due to overflowing, seven welfare centres reopened in Nuwaragampalatha Central and East Divisional Secretariat divisions.

"Even though we already stopped the distribution of cooked food and dry rations two days ago, we recommenced offering flood relief.

"We are prepared to face any situation where flood relief is necessary," the assistant secretary said. Meanwhile, Anuradhapura district Irrigation Director Lalith de Alwis told the Daily News that all 11 reservoirs in the district were overflowing.

Fourteen spill gates of Rajangane, six gates of Nachchaduwa, three gates of Nuwarawewa, two gates of Wahalkada, Mahakanadarawa and Angamuwa and seven spill gates of Eruwewa tank were kept open for the safety of tanks.

Alwis said out of 86 medium scale tanks in the district, 75 tanks were spilling.