India provides flood relief material for Tamil IDPs

To facilitate the resettlement of Tamil IDPs in their original homes ahead of the monsoon season at Wanni in Sri Lanka, India has provided a consignment of flood relief material for them.     

"The Indian Government has provided a stock of roofing sheets for the IDPs being resettled under the Uthuru Vasanthaya rehabilitation and resettlement programme implemented by the government in the north and east," Nation Building Ministry Secretary W K K Kumarasiri said.     

Each family will given 12 roofing sheets and agricultural implements, fishing gear as well as a grant of about Rs 11,000 to restart their livelihood under the resettlement programme, the state run 'Daily News' quoted the minister as saying.     

 

The minister thanked the Indian Government for relief material worth more than Rs 132 million which will be used to resettle nearly 7,500 IDP families before the monsoon, the newspaper said.     

Earlier this month heavy rains inundated relief camps sheltering over 2.5 lakh Tamil IDPs in northern district of Vavuniya.     

The rains caused severe hardship to the inhabitants as it washed away makeshift shelters, toilets and sewage pipes and affected open-air kitchens, the situation was eventually brought under control.

Officials then said that arrangements were immediately made after the downpour to provide the refugees with cooked meals.

About 60 families had to be temporarily moved to a higher location within the camp during that time, government official from Vavuniya, P S M Charles said.     

Charles said on the first day after the rains, about 21,000 people were provided meals as community cooking was stalled due to the heavy downpour. "Extra tents were distributed among the affected people. The drainage system was also cleaned," Charles said.     

But on the very second day, things were brought under control and meals had to be provided for only 500 people as community cooking was resumed.     

She had attributed the flooding to an unexpected downpour one month prior to the monsoon.