No assistance for the Meeribedda refugees
Apr 21, 2016
The people belong to the 90 families in the Koslanda Meeribedda area is subject to live gazing the risk zone located in the area with their children. They pointed out the authorities responsible have lost their concern about them. 75 families living in the Koslanda Meeribedda area in the Badulla district lost their houses due to a landslide occurred in October 5th 2014 at 7.30am. Due to the landslide 39 people died or still missing.
Although the area near to the landslide occurred was named as a danger zone still there are ninety families living in the area due to the fact they don’t have any other suitable lands to move.
According to JICA (Japan International Corporation Agency)research reports the landslide area and the adjoining area has been named as unstable zones due to the existence of landslide mass and the flowing of spring water down the surface. The research report also pointed out the people to be careful of the moving soil and from landslides.
“I have four children and we are living in a danger zone. Nobody search about us. They assured to build houses during the landslide but nobody came after that. We are in trouble now. Although they tell us to leave we don’t have any place to go. During the landslide we don’t have electricity in our village. Only the wires are laid. The children are studying using the lamps” Said Pandiyarajan who is 39 years old.
“Four of my family members including my brother died during the landslide. Their children are living with me. I heard there are houses building to the landslide victims. There are still 100 families living in the danger zone. We are living closer to the landslide area. They are saying the place where we stay also vulnerable to landslides. They are telling us to leave the place when it rains. We don’t have a place to go. If they build houses for us in a good place we will go from here. Nobody comes in search of us for help. They come to see us. We are living deprived and we cannot carry our children and run when it rains” said R. Manoharan who is 60 years.
Pushparani who is 53 years lamented “We live in Meeriyabedda and I have three children. My son has two kids and we all live in one house. When it rains they tell us not to stay here and tell us to go somewhere. Without facilitating us they just tell us to go. We don’t have a place to go. It would be good if they can make and give us houses. They tell the mountain above us is sliding and the area we are living now is digging down. When raining somebody comes and tell us not to stay here but to go somewhere. We don’t have a place to go”
“We live in Meeriyabedda, they tell us to go from here when it starts raining. We don’t have a place to go. I have two children. We don’t have a place to go” – Wijayakumari
Vinodhini six years– “We go to school with greatest difficulty we don’t have transportation facilities. When we go to school while raining we cannot come back due to water” Parents come and take us. When it rains we are getting wet inside the house while studying”
Kandaiiah Dayalan – They are telling us to come and stay here when it rains. There are already 90 families living here. There are elephants roaming here we cannot go to that side. There are small children, elders, we cannot carry them and run. Nobody is helping us but they are forcing us to go”
6000 families at risk
When we inquired from the Badulla district secretariat Nimal Abeysiri about the steps taken regarding the people living in the Koslanda Meeriyabedda area he said despite there are more than six thousand families living in the medium risk zones in the Badulla district and it is a difficult task to built houses for all living in the medium risk zones at once but we are conducting pre training programs to people living in the risk zones of how to face and save them from disaster situations
According to JICA (Japan International Corporation Agency)research reports the landslide area and the adjoining area has been named as unstable zones due to the existence of landslide mass and the flowing of spring water down the surface. The research report also pointed out the people to be careful of the moving soil and from landslides.
“I have four children and we are living in a danger zone. Nobody search about us. They assured to build houses during the landslide but nobody came after that. We are in trouble now. Although they tell us to leave we don’t have any place to go. During the landslide we don’t have electricity in our village. Only the wires are laid. The children are studying using the lamps” Said Pandiyarajan who is 39 years old.
“Four of my family members including my brother died during the landslide. Their children are living with me. I heard there are houses building to the landslide victims. There are still 100 families living in the danger zone. We are living closer to the landslide area. They are saying the place where we stay also vulnerable to landslides. They are telling us to leave the place when it rains. We don’t have a place to go. If they build houses for us in a good place we will go from here. Nobody comes in search of us for help. They come to see us. We are living deprived and we cannot carry our children and run when it rains” said R. Manoharan who is 60 years.
Pushparani who is 53 years lamented “We live in Meeriyabedda and I have three children. My son has two kids and we all live in one house. When it rains they tell us not to stay here and tell us to go somewhere. Without facilitating us they just tell us to go. We don’t have a place to go. It would be good if they can make and give us houses. They tell the mountain above us is sliding and the area we are living now is digging down. When raining somebody comes and tell us not to stay here but to go somewhere. We don’t have a place to go”
“We live in Meeriyabedda, they tell us to go from here when it starts raining. We don’t have a place to go. I have two children. We don’t have a place to go” – Wijayakumari
Vinodhini six years– “We go to school with greatest difficulty we don’t have transportation facilities. When we go to school while raining we cannot come back due to water” Parents come and take us. When it rains we are getting wet inside the house while studying”
Kandaiiah Dayalan – They are telling us to come and stay here when it rains. There are already 90 families living here. There are elephants roaming here we cannot go to that side. There are small children, elders, we cannot carry them and run. Nobody is helping us but they are forcing us to go”
6000 families at risk
When we inquired from the Badulla district secretariat Nimal Abeysiri about the steps taken regarding the people living in the Koslanda Meeriyabedda area he said despite there are more than six thousand families living in the medium risk zones in the Badulla district and it is a difficult task to built houses for all living in the medium risk zones at once but we are conducting pre training programs to people living in the risk zones of how to face and save them from disaster situations
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