A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Friday, May 12, 2017
Meethotamulla victims not paid compensation month after tragedy -lawyer
M. R. Nawaz, who
lost five members of his family points to the place where they lived as
he explains the difficulties experienced by those affected by April
14 tragedy at Meetotamulla. (Pic by Nimal Dayaratne)
By Shamindra Ferdinando-May 11, 2017
Nearly a month after Meetotamulla garbage dump tragedy, the government
and the affected community hadn’t been able to reach an agreement on
compensation to families of those buried alive on the Sinhala and Tamil
New Year Day, April 14, attorney-at-law Nuwan Bopage told The
Island yesterday.
The civil society activist accused the government of dragging its feet
much to the consternation of affected residents. They hadn’t been paid
compensation yet due to the government’s reluctance to categorise the
dead as victims of a calamity caused by negligence, Bopage alleged.
The lawyer has spearheaded over a dozen protests since January 2012 and
represented the residents’ interests at many public forums.
The Rajapaksa administration and the yahapalana lot had dumped garbage
there regardless of the specific Supreme Court directive that only two
acres could be utilised for the purpose for a period of two years
commencing 2009, Bopage said.
Bopage said that families of those who had perished were promised Rs
100,000 per each victim though the money was yet to be paid. In addition
to that the affected had requested compensation amounting to Rs 5 mn
for each victim, Bopage said, adding that they raised the issue with
government officials on several occasions.
"In fact, residents took it up with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at a meeting held at the Premier’s Office," Bopage said.
Responding
to a query, Bopage said that his parents’ house is situated outside the
area now declared as vulnerable to another garbage slide.
The army hadn’t been able to recover bodies of eight persons by the time
the search was called off about a week after the tragedy, Bopage said.
The lawyer placed the number of bodies recovered at 32.
Bopage alleged that in spite of heavy reportage of the unprecedented
tragedy, the country never got to know the true extent of the crisis
hence the urgent need for a full assessment. The garbage slide destroyed
90 houses and caused significant damages to 60, Bopage said, adding
that approximately 100 were situated within the area now considered to
be vulnerable in case of another garbage-slide.
Bopage said of those whose houses had been completely destroyed, 30
recently moved to government provided flats at Salamulla, Wellampitiya.
The remaining families had opted to receive monthly rent amounting to Rs
50,000 until arrangements could be made to provide them with permanent
housing, Bopage said. However, the government hadn’t responded
positively to their request to pay them three months’ rent, Bopage said.
The lawyer alleged that about 40 families had been accommodated at
Paddy Marketing Board stores at Wellampitiya in extremely poor
conditions.
Of those who had abandoned their houses situated within the danger zone,
about 60 recently moved to flats provided by the government, Bopage
said, pointing out that 90 families had so far accepted the government
offer of flats.
Bopage said residents had repeatedly urged the government to provide a
realistic assessment of the abandoned property. He said that it would be
unfair to assess property on the basis of them being situated in the
Meetotamulla garbage dump area as value of property there sharply
dropped due to them being situated close proximity to the garbage
mountain, Bopage said.
The lawyer flayed Buddhist temples for not backing residents’ struggle
in spite of their repeated appeals. According to him, a section of the
influential clergy had sought to appease powerful politicians and
business interests than supporting residents’ just struggle.
M. R. Nawaz, who had lost five members of his family points to where his
dwelling was as he explained the difficulties experienced by those
affected by Sinhala-Tamil New Year day/Good Friday tragedy at
Meetotamulla. (Pic by Nimal Dayaratne)