New tsunami villages still with gravel roads

Fred Silva Jinasena Telwatta group correspondent

The Local Government and Provincial Council Authorities have failed in constructing decent roads around the tsunami housing complex at Galagodawatta situated in the Divisional Secretariat Division, Hikkaduwa and in the Rathgama Pradeshiya Sabha Division since 2005.

After the tsunami disaster a large number of foreign NGO representatives were engaged in constructing new houses for the displaced and they were able to construct about a 1,000 beneficiary houses within one year with temporary gravel roads.

But since then those gravel roads are in a dilapidated condition with drains cut across them. The pathetic state of these roads has been informed by A.F. de Silva, a tsunami displaced living in Galagoda to the Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister in July 2007.

The Minister has forwarded his request to Shan Wijelal de Silva the Chief Minister of the Southern PC in August 2007.

The Chief Minister has directed the request to the Commissioner of Local Government Southern Province, Galle on August 2007 and the Commissioner has forwarded it to the Chairman, Pradesheeya Sabha, Rathgama, Hikkaduwa for actions, but so far the Rathgama P.S. has not taken any action to construct this most important isolated Galagodawatta Tsunami Housing Complex road.