CHA SITUATION REPORT EASTERN PROVINCE (, Matara, , and ) July 2006

General Situation

HAMBANTOTA

The annual Esala festival of Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Dewalaya commenced on the 26th of July. The highlight of the festival, the Randoli Perahera will be held on the 09th of August. Esala festival will come to a climax with the water cutting ceremony of the Menik Ganga on the 10th of August. The Esela Perahera will include a number of elephants, up–country and low– country dances, and other cultural items.

The water supply scheme of Siribopura, Hambantota, jointly funded by the Governments of and Denmark, will be inaugurated. The National Water Supply and Drainage Board handled the construction.

The Minister of Agriculture Development handed over one hundred boats at a cost of Rs. 60 million to tsunami affected fishermen of and Hambantota recently. This was a donation from the Government of Kuwait.

The Agunukolapalassa Hospital received medical equipment for the Emergency Treatment Unit. Though building facilities are available the hospital is hampered with the lack of nursing staff. The CMO has pointed out that four nurses are required to open the unit.

MATARA

There is a certain amount of disturbance in the district with regard to the security situation. There have been false bomb threats to schools. Thirty–nine Tamil youth was arrested in Akuressa and its suburbs during the past few weeks. However, the daily activities of Matara continue without a hitch. In the tea plantation areas in the suburbs of Matara, the atmosphere seems turbulent, as the area is multi–ethnic.

There are still a number of transitional shelters in tsunami affected areas and people there face water and sanitation problems. A large number of shelters can be demolished, but the Government is unable to do it because new families have occupied the shelters without the Government’s knowledge.

According to Government data, 60% of the permanent housing programme has been completed, but only few houses have been occupied. There are some confusions relating to the beneficiary lists, as the Government has decreased the buffer zone. Therefore, Divisional Secretaries have not been able to finalise their lists and has created problems for donor agencies. GALLE

A bomb threats to leading schools in Galle created panic amongst parents and the community in the Galle town. Parents were refrained from sending their children to school as a result of the threatening telephone call. The situation returned to normal after a few days.

Special security systems have been introduced to schools following potential terror threats to schools. At the beginning of the month, there was a rumour of a bomb in Galle, which cerated panic amongst the people.

Security Issues

BADULLA

The Police raided several areas in the district, particularly the estates, during the beginning of the month. A few people were arrested upon suspicion and was released later. The Plice arrested a Tamil lady at the Badulla General Hospital. She had been carrying out suspicious activities on the hospital premises.

Addiction to Illegal Liquor

Some NGOs and CBOs have informed that most people in the estates and villages are addicted to illegal liquor (kasippu). They pointed out that this is rather unfortunate and leads to a lot of problems in the areas. It is clear that this is one of the reasons for the poverty prevailing in these areas. This habit poses a great hindrance to the education of the children of those parents addicted to the liquor. The organisations revealed that the problem has worsened as authorities have failed to take proper action to eradicate this habit.

HAMBANTOTA

All schools that come under the purview of fourteen police divisions will be provided with adequate security in order to protect children from subversive activities. The SP of Tangalle has already raised awareness amongst Principals of respective schools through OICs in all police stations.

The Army and Police are checking the people coming into Kataragama, at Yala and Warahana. They have kept a record of people moving in and out of Yala, Walimata and Kochchipatha. They have also setup checkpoints in the areas.

MATARA The Akuressa Police arrested thirty–nine Tamil men from a private residence in Akuressa. They were handed over to the Terrorist Investigations Unit for further investigations. They had told the Police that they had come to proceed to Italy.

A few suspects were taken into custody from the plantation areas in Deniyaya, as they were not able to prove their reasons for being there. Further investigations are underway.

A man and a woman was taken into custody for the assassination of the Late President of the Southern Development Authority. Investigations continue and the case will be called again this month, to Matara Magistrate courts.

Due to mechanical failure, a Korean ship was anchored at the coastal area of Dikwella. It created a severe disturbance amongst the people as they were under the impression that the ship was owned by the LTTE. Navy officials had checked the ship and verified.

The Matara Police arrested a woman at the Matara bus stand due to her suspicious behaviour. She was unable to provide proper identification. Therefore, a warrant will be obtained from the magistrate to detain in order to continue investigations.

On the 11th of July, gunfire was reported from . The Police of Gandara are continuing investigations and two suspects were taken into custody.

The Police arrested a man with a hand grenade in his possession. The Police informed that the suspect was a resident of Henwala, Weligama. The Weligama Police will continue investigations.

Sustainable Needs

Livelihood

HAMBANTOTA

CHA and DRDU are organising a Livelihood Needs Assessment Survey in four affected Divisions in Hambantota, as a pilot survey.

Housing

MATARA

Housing programmes have started according to Divisional Secretariats for families who receive public aid. The programme falls under the Southern Provincial Ministry of Rural Development. Thirteen new houses, in the Kadawedduwa GS Division, were handed over to beneficiaries. Rhino Roofing Products Limited built fifty houses in Kapagamagedara, Devinuwara Divisional Secretariat. The houses were recently handed over to families affected by the tsunami. The housing units were built in accordance with designs and specifications of the Urban Development Authority. The company contributed Rs. 30 million for the project.

The housing project for the tsunami affected continues under the Lakshman Yapa Abewardena Foundation. Forty–three permanent houses in two schemes in the Dondra Division were handed over to tsunami affected beneficiaries recently. Those housing schemes were built by IFRC, ICRC. Steps were taken to award lands for those who were not allocated land by the Southern Provincial Ministry of Land and Land Development. Under this programme, 27,500 plots of land will be handed over to these families before the end of 2006. Out of the total, 10,000 plots will be allocated to the Matara District.

The Government of Switzerland has granted Rs. 1,550 million for owner driven housing programmes in the Matara and Districts. The project is coordinated by SDC.

Donor Driven Houses (within the buffer zone) as at 21st of April:

r e f f ion t u s c u ie o b r d t e ia e r s ic u r s f e e f r d Proposed f s ne e u e e 99% c og - ion it s r t

Units u B l a l r s d o B a e e t

DS Division THRU t nd f r 80% W in P r e o of s s k

Require A ou e e N q s F h or ov ment e d ou R W e inis H F nd a ion H t c u d e Weligama 28 1433 728r 705 922 622 547 429 98 Matara 17 693 274 419 352 296 211 111 84 Devinuwara 14 428 106 322 398 373 323 272 42 Dickwella 13 584 355 229 314 162 141 122 74 Total 72 3138 1463 1675 1986 1453 1222 934 298 Source: THRU

Partially Fully 2nd Inst 1st 3rd 4th DS Division 1st Inst 2nd Installment Rs.50,0 Installment Installment Installment Rs.50,000 Rs. 60,000 00 Rs. 50,000 Rs. 80,000 Rs. 60,000 Weligama 1645 1584 424 394 379 337 Matara 1971 1887 277 262 240 195 Devinuwara 230 201 51 48 43 39 Dickwella 313 299 70 70 64 55 TOTAL 4159 3971 822 774 726 626 Owner Driven Houses (outside the buffer zone) as at 02nd of May:

Source: DS,SDC

Compensation Paid by the Banks for Damaged Houses:

Source: DS,SDC

Permanent House

GALLE

The Salvation Army has complained that the glasses of the windows in houses break as a result of rocks which are blasted at the quarry in Galgoda.

Housing Requirement Housing Requirement after Buffer reduction DS Division Partially Fully Partially Fully Total Total Damaged Damaged Damaged Damaged Weligama 1645 426 2071 1997 800 2797 Matara 1995 278 2273 2143 404 2547 Devinuwara 230 51 281 316 71 387 Dickwella 313 70 383 527 211 738 TOTAL 4183 825 5008 4983 1486 6469

The Haritha Foundation will be working on problems with regard to permanent housing. They will concentrate on widening access roads to the sites and checking for water quality.

T/S C&M

NRC has hired a gully sucker and anyone in need of the service could contact NRC. NRC is also using a pest control system for transitional shelters. NRC has launched first version of the Transitional Shelter Site Tracking (TSST). The second version will be released. Thus, data is being collected on sanitation, health, water, energy, safety, women and children, education, site management, and decommissioning of transitional shelters. Reports will be published based on divisions.

Health

MATARA

Medagoda Rural Hospital in the Weligama Division has stopped admitting patients since the hospital lacks facilities for residential patients. The Divisional Health Department of Kamburupitiya, funded by UNESCO, conducted a campaign with regard to flu. Under this campaign, medicine was distributed free of charge to farmers. Dengue and rat flu caused twenty–nine deaths in the Matara District. In addition, health officials informed that thirty–eight persons showing symptoms of dengue were admitted to the Matara General Hospital.

GALLE

UNICEF is funding the much needed latrines from to . In addition, the French Red Cross is involved in rehabilitating wells in the area and is currently awaiting a list of wells that require rehabilitation, from the District Secretariats.

P sychosocial

GALLE

UNICEF is identifying psychosocial training needs for the moment. UNICEF along with Sarvodaya maintains twenty–one day care centres. In addition, they also work with CCF on children’s projects. Thirty–five workshops including HIV programmes, first aid programmes and training programmes were conducted for youth groups. Psychosocial interviews were conducted to identify needs.

SLRC is carrying out psychosocial activities in ten schools, from ten villages, in the . The ten villages are Heygalle and Brahmanawatte in the Balapitiya DS Division; Akurala, Seenigama, Thalagamuwa and Hikkaduwa in the Hikkaduwa DS Division; Gintota and Kahawenagama in Galle four gravets DS Division; Heenatigala and Morampitigoda in the Habaraduwa DS Division. The ten schools are Heygalle College, Aluthgama Rajapaksha College, Thotagamuwe Wijayaba, Peraliya Jinarathana, Hikkaduwa Mahamaya Girls College, Gintota Maha Vidyalaya, Martin Wickramasinghe College, and G.V.S. De Silva School.

Three hundred and thirty–five in–service teachers, three hundred pre–service teachers and four hundred community facilitators were given training on capacity building.

Water and Sanitation

MATARA

Farmers associations in the Mulatiyana Division stand against the drinking water project under the Gemidiriya Programme, as it affects their agriculture sector. However, Government officials are trying their best in minimising the resentment within these communities. There is evidence that there is a certain amount of malpractice concerning water and sanitations facilities in temporary shelters in some area in Matara, such as the Weligama Ports Authority Shelter Site.

The Pitabeddara Divisional Secretariat launched the “Gemi Isura” project, which provides sanitation and pure drinking water facilities to villagers. Three hundred latrines and water supply for one hundred and ninety houses are provided at a cost of about Rs. 2.5 million under this project.

GALLE

The WATSAN meeting, earlier held at the district level, is now held at the provincial level. The last meeting was held in Matara and was chaired by UNICEF. WATSAN looks into the following key areas: water quality, construction of WATSAN facilities such as wetlands and rainwater harvesting systems, hygiene promotion and WATSAN in schools with participatory planning based on child friendly schools concept. Under water quality, it is expected to strengthen the capacity and capability of water board laboratories and community based water projects in the Southern Province. In addition, there will be community and school children focused awareness raising on water quality under hygiene promotion as well, while introducing bacteriological test kits. It is expected that there would be a self–running water quality surveillance system and interest on water quality in the long run.

WV uses bowsers to distribute 100,000 litres of water per day to four thousand families in Balapitiya, , Hikkaduwa, and a part of Walahanduwa. WV confirms that they will continue distributing as much as possible. This is an initiative to ease these people’s suffering due to the lack of a proper water supply, as wells are still not stable and permanent water supply schemes are delayed. An assessment was done on the wells and the validity of supplying water via bowsers, followed by an exit strategy which was agreed to be done, since March, 2006. WV will provide one hundred tube wells but not in areas where water is being distributed through bowsers.

Malteser, SED Galle along with the DS launched a project worth of Rs. 68 million to provide water to areas that are unable to get water. Liyanagoda and Katukurunda will benefit under this programme until the Water Board is able to provide water to these areas. The Water Board will lay the pipelines and organisations would bear the cost of water. They would also form a CBO to maintain this even after the Water Board takes over. The CBO would maintain this project, which will benefit six hundred families.

Economic growth/decline and resulting differences

MATARA Save the Children in Sri Lanka distributed new fibre canoes recently, to fishermen affected by the tsunami in the Dickwella Division recently.

Saviya Foundation, in collaboration with GOAL Sri Lanka, launched a programme to train women in home gardening and environment protection in the Southern Province. The first stage will start shortly and will target one hundred and ninety–five families from Weligama. This programme will also be extended to other selected villages.

The Divisional Secretariat recently selected three villages in the Mulatiyana Division, Neralampitiya, Deiyandara and Ransegoda, to be developed under the “SARUGAMMANA” programme of the Divisional Secretariat.

Five training centres commenced to train and build capacities of women affected by the tsunami, between the ages of 18 and 50 years. The centres will be located in Galle and Matara. Two centres will be located in Paramulla and Mirissa for Matara. Lombadia, from Italy, provided funds. Groups of women have started self–employment after the trainings.

According to the President of the Pradeshiya Sabaha, development projects will be launched to expand the Kamburupitya town area.

An amount of Rs. 16 million was given from January to May 2006 as a subsidy to restart tea plantations in Matara and Hambantota Districts, through Small Tea Plantation Estate Development Authority.

Discussions are being conducted in Kamburupiriya at an official level with regard to acquiring land for rural development projects.

Nine irrigation channels will be built in Hakmana and Mulatiyana Divisions. This will benefit six hundred and thirty farmers and eight hundred acres of paddy fields. The project estimate is around Rs. 4 million. During the recent past, thirty irrigation channels were repaired and this benefited three thousand acres of paddy lands.

Two villages, Hakmana and Kirinda, were selected from the Matara District for the “MAGA NEGUMA” project.

The new Chairman of the Southern Development Authority requested that everyone play an active role in developing the Southern Province.

The Ministry of Justice Affairs allocated land from the court premises to construct a new Post Office.

The Rubber Development Department initiated a programme to grant financial assistance to the cultivators with a view to promote rubber cultivation in the Matara District. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) formally handed over material and financial assistance worth Rs. 5.6 million, to seventy–nine selected Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in the Matara District.

The Saviya Development Project implemented the Home Gardening Development Project, sponsored by GOAL, in Mirissa within the Weligama DS Division. Recently, assets were distributed amongst the home gardeners, at the Saviya District Office in Matara. A beneficiary was given a compost bin.

Infrastructure

GALLE

The Galagoda Permanent Housing site still lacks electricity. People have obtained electricity illegally at present and the Salvation Army has expressed concerns over the risks that the houses are in. RADA has promised to look in to this issue.

Accessibility

Road to Walasmulla via Iththademaliya, Weeraketiya is badly damaged. It has affected a pot industry in the area. People in the area are also facing difficulties in transportation. Walasmulla–Weeraketiya and Weeraketiya–Middeniya Roads are currently under renovation.

Due to the new public transport timetable in Matara, the Matara–Tissa bus operators held a protest to show their disagreement. Commuters faced difficulties due to the protest.

Medagama Bridge at Deiyandara, which was damaged by floods in 2003, needs to be renovated. Residents in the area should inform the relevant authorities who seem to be unaware of the situation.

Though there is a tower for CDMA phones un Urubokka, services have still not been provided to the people.

Under the “Maga Neguma” project, the damaged Rassandeniya Road was partly renovated. According to the villagers, there is still more to be repaired.

Environmental Issues

MATARA

IUCN operates in Matara and they are conducting capacity building program to introduce environment healthy programs in the district, especially in Tsunami affected areas. Matara, Deniyaya, Kaburupitiya, Urubokka, Thihagoda, Kadduwa, Athuraliya, Yatiyana and Nadhugala areas were flooded due to heavy rains. The floods created immense difficulties for the people and transportation facilities. The GA’s office stated that a Disaster Management Unit has been located at the District Secretariat in preparation for such incidents.

Waste disposal in the Matara Municipal area has improved immensely. The common sight of waste lying around is no longer existent.

GALLE

Environment

Two blocked irrigation channels need to be cleared in Bentota DS Division. Illegal blasting is ongoing in Galagodawatte although a letter has been sent to CEA.

Education and Awareness

MATARA

Southern Provincial Ministry of Sports provided sports equipment and library books to Pitabeddara Youth Club Forum, to foster reading habits and improve sports activities.

Caritas Zed Galle pledged to rehabilitate and construct six school buildings in the Southern Province affected by the tsunami. The organisation hopes to utilise Rs, 1,000 million on this project. Under the project, construction of a school building worth of Rs. 65.5 million, has started at the Matara Convent. The project continues with the approval of the Southern Provincial Education Ministry.

New buildings will constructed in another eleven schools in the Matara District. Handford Primary, Kudalagashena Primary, Dehigaspe Primary, Derangala Primary and High School in the Deniyaya Electorate are the selected schools. Other schools have been selected from Karagoda, Uyangoda, Ihala Vitiyala Gunarathana, Iriyagoda Primary, Ovitigamuwa and Hettivala schools from the Kamburupitiya Electorate. The project costs Rs. 28.4 million.

According to the plans of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), the Public Library in Matara will be renovated soon.

The Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena Foundation held a ceremony to donate school uniform material to schoolchildren of the Matara District. Businessmen donated a much needed series of Thripitaka to Belpamulla Sudarshanaramaya at Deiyandara.

The Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage conducted a workshop on Uplifting Rural Libraries and Encouraging the Reading Habit amongst Rural Folk. The workshop was conducted for the Pradesheeya Sabha Librarians in the Matara District. The Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage was also present and distributed a collection of books worth Rs. 200,000/- to each rural library.

The National Youth Service (NYS) provided youth leadership training to over 2,000 male and female youths from selected GN Divisions.

A training centre, to train new comers to the handloom industry, was opened at Handugala, Dehigahahena in the Matara District recently.

The Electricity Board took action to acquire Rs. 1.6 million as fines from fifty unlawful consumers of electricity.

The Health Workers’ Union Forum organised a protest campaign with regard to the disparity of the new circular on Government compensation. One hundred nurses turned up at the Matara Hospital Junction to participate in the protest.

The Police arrested three illegal cigar transporters at Mirissa possessing 12,000 illegal cigars.

Around sixty–five youngsters were caught in indecent behaviour. Most of them were students who had come for tuition classes. Sixty–four of them were between the ages of 13–30 years.

Lekakhadhikari, Ven. Ehelape Yathiratana thero and Matara Sasamarakshaka Pradesheeya Mandalaya expressed that action should be taken against artists, film directors and sundry persons who distort noble concepts of motherhood, fatherhood and love for children for their personal gains and thereby marring the culture. Thero delivered this message at the one–day workshop for Pradesheeya Sabha Librarians in the Matara district held recently.

The DS of Pitabeddara organised a series of mobile services to solve the people’s problems. The Divisional Secretariat has given priority to solving problems pertaining to land. Title deeds, land permits, birth and marriage certificates, death certificates, and national identity cards will be issued under this programme. Two mobile services have already been conducted and covered Paradupalla, Rabukkana, West Kotagala, Elamaldeniya, Kiriwelkeele South and Grama Niladari Divisions.

The South Provincial Ministry of Sport has provided sport equipment and books to Pitabeddara Yawwana Samaja Sammelanaya. This will assist in improving sport activities and foster reading habits of youth attached to Yawwana Samaja in Pitabeddara Divisional Secretariat area.