Cyclone hit the electricity towers

Today afternoon (14th Aug), Cyclone damages 5 electricity towers in line to Trincomalee,
leaves most Trincomalee areas without power.

International Water Day 2008

The Green Movement of Sri Lanka organized a colourful and high impact demonstration to mark International Water Day and protest against its privatization. We have been heavily involved in campaigning to receive equitable and free access to this natural life source and vehemently disagree with its value as a commodity. This campaign was held outside parliament over the first day, and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) on the second day for maximum results. Sri Lanka has its own elaborate and extremely effective water system which has been managed for centuries and maintained and shared communally. Clear entitlement rules, along with effective distribution and access, ensured community benefit and co-operation, with different communities using different ways as they know best. More recently, however, multi national companies and international financial institutions have attempted to manipulate nature’s gifts to their own benefit. From the ‘development’ and ‘conservation’ disguise, they are marketing water as something to be controlled, bought and sold in order to curb predicted future shortages. In reality, community owned water will become corporate, and shortages will be in terms of access and entitlement, with everyday local people suffering. Privatization began in the 1990’s and is big business, with annual profits of $400 billion. The key players in South Asia are the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, who impose policy conditions for privatization of water in return for financial help. This is already penetrating into Sri Lankan life, with policy documents and arrangements being drafted, and widespread ‘experiments’ adverrsly affecting rural communities.

The Greens demonstrated their ideas to the general public and engaged them in a sharing and learning experience where people found out about IWMI’s intentions and the threat of privatization. Most people who stopped did not know anything about the water issue, therefore the campaign was a huge success in terms of alerting people to the truth, and giving them the tools to address this.

Flash floods displace thousands in war-torn area

Flash floods displace thousands in war-torn area

Photo: OCHA

COLOMBO, 20 March 2008 (IRIN) - More than 50,000 people have been hit by flooding in northwestern Mannar District in Sri Lanka since 12 March, the government said. The area has witnessed intense clashes between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the last six months, restricting access to relief agencies.

Flooding caused by torrential rains has affected 173,909 people in nine districts of the country, including 120,000 in the eastern Batticaloa District, and left five dead, the National Disaster Relief Services Centre (NDRSC) said on 19 March.

“Floods have caused immense damage to affected areas, interrupting all economic and social activities,” the NDRSC stated in a situation report. “It is also reported that there is tremendous damage to infrastructure facilities in the areas [of Mannar]. About 14,010 families or 54,323 people have been affected.”

The report also stated that 40 houses had been destroyed and 155 damaged in the eight districts. The NDRSC said the government had allocated three million rupees (US$27,000) as emergency funds for affected districts and Rs2 million ($18,000) for Mannar District.

Crops damaged

Initial assessment reports by the NDRSC said damage to crops could be high as the rains came just before the harvesting season.

“There are 12,000 acres of paddy land that were to be harvested when the floods hit,” A Nicholaspillai, the government agent for Mannar, told IRIN. “We still don’t have exact figures, but damage to the harvest is something we will have to deal with.”
Nicholaspillai also said seed would have to be provided to farmers for the upcoming season.

Officials of the Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC) said there were indications of damage to crops in at least one other southern district. “The initial reports we have indicate that there have been significant crop losses in the southern district of Badulla,” Merik Peiris, executive director, communications and humanitarian values at the SLRC, told IRIN.

Government officials in Mannar told IRIN they had began distributing relief items and were awaiting assessment reports to decide on additional assistance. “We started distributing meals almost as soon as the first displacements were reported over the weekend,” Nicholaspillai told IRIN. “We have made initial plans to continue the distribution for three days at least.”

Restricted access

Increasing clashes between government forces and the LTTE along the line of control in Mannar District and other security concerns had already restricted access to the district before the latest flooding.

“Since 4 February, access has been restricted to vehicles north of Madawachchiya checkpoint, creating additional challenges for civilian travel across Mannar District,” the Inter-Agency Standing Committee stated in a situation report released on 15 March.

However, Peiris said the SLRC did not foresee the security restrictions limiting the relief effort in Mannar. “We already have a network there and plan to work through government agencies.”

He added that while the immediate needs of the victims, such as cooked food and clothes, would be provided, SLRC would need additional assistance, such as non-food items, as the flood waters receded and the displaced began returning home.

“There will be lot of demand for dry rations and baby food after they return home,” he said. “We also will have to look at health concerns and loss of livelihoods.”

FLOOD SITUATION REPORT IN THE DRY ZONE OF SRI LANKA

According to the 12^th March announcement from the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), some areas in the Trincomalee and Anuradhapura Districts were inundated following torrential rain, but no flood victims had been reported so far. The Divaina local newspaper reported that the affected areas are Nelsanpura, Sumedhankarapura, Thulsipura, 3 mile post and Trincomalee, with approximately 1000 families being displaced in the Trincomalee district.

The Island Newspaper on 13th March reported that 20 large reserovoirs in the dry zone have had to open their sluice gates in order to release water. These reservoirs are situated in the Anuradhapura, Badulla, Kurunegala, Batticaloa, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee districts.

The following table shows the tank's in Anuradhapura that are close to or have reached their maximum water level:

Name of Tank	Maximum Level	Present Water Level
Rajanganaya	35.0	34.50
Kalaweva	424.0	424.16
Nachchaduwa	25.0	25.0

The DMC have warned of ‘imminent’ landslides in the districts of Badulla and Ratnapura, as stated in the Daily Mirror on 14^th March. A minor landslide has already taken place in the Badulla DS area.

Farmers organizations are predicting a massive problem for harvesting activities as much harvested paddy is being destroyed, and that which is growing is of immediate risk. Hundred’s of acres of paddy land is under water, with entire harvests wiped out.
These figures can be seen below:

Number of Acres	Affected District
1867 acres	Muttur
2 acres	Ralkuli
Over 400 acres	Moraweva
Over 3000 acres	Tissamaharama

Badulla District DMC reported the closing of the Ella- Wellawaya road due to a landslide, causing the death of 2 people, and damaging 178 houses.

TSUNAMI AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN THE SOUTHERN COAST

TSUNAMI AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN THE SOUTHERN COAST

KALAMETIYA GREEN VILLAGE

Since the DMIP are now responsible for managing the long term rehabilitation and recovery of tsunami affected communities, we are evaluating the progress, needs and problems from our resettlement villages. We went to Kalametiya, which is a well known successful model of a self sustaining and environmentally friendly community. Our observations were that although the majority had a good income generation, they were still dependent on the GMSL. We aim to increase their self motivation, capacity and sense of ownership and responsibility to manage their own lives. We held an effective participatory learning and action workshop to establish problems as well as looking towards solving them. 16 short term problems were found and many of the solutions were rooted in community contribution and effort.

HANGURANKETHA REHABILITATION PROGRAMME

HANGURANKETHA REHABILITATION PROGRAMME

Nearly 200 families have moved to their new site, but many have returned to their original lands, despite it being at risk. It seems evident that the new site is unsuitable and could be prone to landslides, yet the DS division are ignorant to this fact, stating the risk as commonplace to Nuwara Eliya. Due to this, the GMSL are undertaking a swift and effective lobbying and advocacy role, to re-assess the suitability of the site and challenge the DS with findings from the NBRO and DMC. They are still without any water and sanitation facilities but the GMSL are currently securing funding for this and the community is under negotiation with the host families to share water from a nearby lake.

LANDSLIDE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN NEWARA ELIYA

LANDSLIDE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN NEWARA ELIYA

WALAPANE REHABILITATION PROGRAMME

The people of Walapane who suffered from last years landslides, have mobilised themselves to improve their living conditions in the camp. As they await resettlement, they have begun to construct a study room, and are receiving a water supply as well as electricity. This was done under the guidance of the GMSL but was predominantly carried out by the community themselves, with material assistance from the DS. They have been lobbying and advocating for new land, especially since a small number of families were recently arrested for moving to land they had found themselves. 3 representatives from Walapane met with the Environmental Ministry to discuss whether they could release some of the 500 acres of land discovered that belongs to the wildlife department. This is still in discussion but the outcome looks extremely positive.