The
Indian
Ocean
tsunami
which
struck
on 26
December
2004
caused
the
biggest
natural
disaster
in the
history
of Sri
Lanka
taking
more
than
35,000
lives.
About
two
thirds
of the
coastline,
from the
northern
Jaffna
peninsula
along
the
eastern
coast to
the
southern
tip, as
well as
the
relatively
sheltered
south
western
and
western
coasts,
was
subjected
to
inundation.
Infrastructure
including
houses,
roads,
schools
and
hospitals
were
destroyed
with a
damage
exceeding
US $ 900
million.
At a
time
when Sri
Lanka
marks
the 5th
year
after
the
tsunami,
it is
heartening
to note
that
most of
the
tsunami
projects
have
been
completed
or in
their
final
stages.
A large
number
of roads
and
bridges
have
been
reconstructed
or newly
established
while
housing
is
provided
to
thousands
of
tsunami
affected
families.
Health
services
have
restored
while
schools
rebuilt.
Reconstruction
of roads
and
bridges
Heavy
damage
was
caused
to roads
and
bridges
due to
the
tsunami.
In 2008,
Rs.7,
948
million
has been
allocated
by the
government
for the
rehabilitation
of
tsunami
affected
roads.
According
to the
Ministry
of
Highways
and Road
Development,
a total
of
964.64
kms of road
have
been
identified
as
needing
reconstruction
due to
the
tsunami
disaster.
By 2009,
472.89 kms of
road
completed
construction
while
construction
of
another
491.74
kms of
road is
ongoing.
Thus,
close to
50 % of
tsunami
road
projects
have
completed
as of
November
2009.
Under
the
government’s
‘Maga
Naguma’
programme
initiated
to
improve
roads
especially
in the
rural
areas,
many of
the road
construction
projects
have
either
completed
or
ongoing.
Out of
20
bridges
identified
for
reconstruction
or to be
newly
established,
a total
of 12
bridges
have
been
completed
by 2009
and
construction
is
ongoing
on the
rest.
Significantly,
the
Kinniya
Bridge
in
Trincomalee
was
successfully
completed
at a
cost of
Rs.789mn
and
opened
to the
public.
It is
the
longest
bridge
in Sri
Lanka.
Kinniya
was
badly
affected
by the
tsunami.
Various
political
leaders
previously
laid
foundations
to build
the
Kinniya
Bridge
on 18
occasions.
However,
the 19th
foundation
laid by
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
when he
was
serving
as the
Prime
Minister
in 2004
had seen
a
successful
conclusion.
The
Irakkandi
Bridge,
constructed
at a
cost of
Rs.713
million
was
another
major
tsunami
project
which
successfully
completed.
The
Irakkandi
Bridge
links
Trincomalee
with
Pulmodai.
It was
constructed
to
replace
the old
bridge
destroyed
by the
tsunami.
Spanning
the
Irakkandi
Lagoon,
it is
300
metres
long and
seven
metres
wide
with two
lanes of
1.5
metres
for
pedestrians.
The
President
also
declared
open the
Arugam
Bay
Bridge
connecting
Pottuvil,
Arugam
Bay and
Panama
in the
Eastern
Province
on July
01, 09.
The
state-of
-the-art
bridge
constructed
at a
cost of
US $
10mn is
an
alternative
to the
old
bridge
over
Arugam
Bay
which
was
severely
damaged
by the
tsunami.
The
bridge
comprises
two
lanes
measuring
160
metres
each,
and
offers
user-friendly
features
such as
protected
pedestrian
walkways.
The
project
launched
in
August
2006
also
includes
900
metres
of paved
access
roadway
and a
water
supply
system
for the
Arugam
Bay
area.
Housing
 The
Ministry
of
Nation
Building
and
Estate
Infrastructure
Development
reports
that
117,372
houses
have
been
destroyed
by the
tsunami
and
562,601
displaced.
The
reconstruction
of
houses
is
carried
out in
two main
parts.
One is
the
reconstruction
of
houses
by the
owners
themselves
through
funds
received
from the
government
and
other
donor
agencies.
The
programme
was
initially
coordinated
by the
Reconstruction
and
Development
Agency (RADA)
but now
the
responsibility
falls to
the
Ministry
of
Nation
Building
and
Estate
Infrastructure
Development.
The
second
is the
programme
on
reconstruction
of
houses
though
aid from
donor
agencies.
Those
qualified
to
receive
aid are
provided
with a
donation
of Rs.2,
50, 000/
- while
Rs.100,000/
- is
provided
to
victims
whose
houses
are
partially
damaged.
According
to the
Ministry
of
Nation
Building
and
Estate
Infrastructure
Development,
more
than
100,000
houses
were
completed
and
handed
over to
tsunami
affected
families
by 2007.
By 2008,
67,250
houses
have
been
completed
by the
victims
themselves
through
funds
they
received
from
various
donors.
In the
Southern
Province,
112% of
housing
projects
have
been
completed
while in
the West
24 %, in
the East
88 % and
in the
North
39% by
2007.
Overall
85 % of
houses
destroyed
by the
tsunami
were
completed
by
December
2007.
The low
percentage
in the
Western
Province
is
mainly
due to
lack of
lands.
The
President
initiated
the cash
for land
purchases
for
Colombo
District
and
accordingly
by
December
2007, a
total of
1170
beneficiaries
have
bought
land and
an
additional
Rs.250,
000/-
was
provided
via
state
banks to
build
houses.
In the
North
Western
Province,
all
housing
projects
were
completed
as of
December
2007.
The cost
escalation
of raw
material
and high
demand
for
labour,
impact
of
conflict,
environmental
and
disaster
management
concerns,
and land
titles
and
ownership
issues
were
some of
the
challenges
that
authorities
had to
face in
the
construction
of
houses.
Reconstruction
of
schools
A total
182
schools
were
damaged
due to
the
tsunami
in 11
districts
and 18
education
zones in
Sri
Lanka
according
to the
Ministry
of
Education.
Out of
the
total of
damaged
schools,
72
schools
were
fully
damaged
and
another
110
partially
damaged.
The
district
where
the most
number
of
schools
were
destroyed
was
Ampara
with a
total of
40
schools.
Out of
this, 37
schools
have
been
constructed
by 2009,
while
three
schools
will
complete
construction
by March
2010.
37
schools
were
destroyed
in
Batticaloa
of which
33
schools
have now
been
completed.
26
schools
each in
Galle
and Trincomalee
were
damaged
while 24
schools
in Galle
and 16
schools
in
Trincomalee
have
completed
reconstruction.
Construction
of the
two
remaining
schools
in Galle
will be
completed
by 2010.
All the
seven
schools
destroyed
by the
tsunami
in
Kalutara
and all
6
schools
destroyed
in
Hambantota
have
completed
reconstruction
while 10
of 12
schools
in
Matara
have
been
reconstructed.
In
Gampaha
too,
both
schools
which
were
destroyed
have
completed
reconstruction.
11
schools
in
Jaffna,
14
schools
in
Mulaitivu
and one
school
in
Kilinochchi
are due
to be
reconstructed.
Terrorist
activity
stringent
in the
past 5
years in
the
North
hindered
the
reconstruction
of these
schools.
Restoring
the
health
sector
The
Ministry
of
Healthcare
and
Nutrition
conducted
island
wide
projects
to
re-establish
hospitals
and
medical
units
and
purchase
medical
equipments
and
vehicles
for the
health
sector.
Out of
the 295
projects,
278
projects
were
completed
island
wide by
2009. 16
projects
are
ongoing
while
one
project
is in
the
planning
stage. A
total of
Rs.13873mn
is
estimated
to
restore
the
damaged
caused
to the
health
sector.
Tsunami
preparedness
The
government
of Sri
Lanka
places
high
priority
in
preparing
the
public
to avoid
damage
from
future
tsunami
disasters.
Apart
from
publicity
awareness
campaigns
tsunami
preparedness
rehearsals
are held
from
time to
time. On
26 Dec
2009
too,
such a
rehearsal
will
take
place in
10
districts
which
are
Gampaha,
Batticaloa,
Trincomalee,
Puttalam,
Galle,
Kalutara,
Matara,
Ampara,
Hambantota
and
Colombo.
In this
drill
people
will be
evacuated
from
these
towns to
places
of
safety
identified
earlier.
In
addition,
Sri
Lanka
participated
in an
ocean-wide
tsunami
exercise
named
“Exercise
Indian
Ocean
Wave 09”
on 14
October
2009 to
coincide
with
World
Disaster
Reduction
Day.
Twenty
countries
around
the
Indian
Ocean
Rim
participated
in this
exercise.
The
purpose
of the
exercise
was to
test
national
standard
operating
procedures
and the
operational
lines of
communication
between
the
National
Tsunami
Warning
Centres
(NTWCs),
Japan
Meteorogical
Agency (JMA)
and
Pacific
Tsunami
Warning
Centre (PTWC).
It
tested
and
evaluated
the
effectiveness
of the
Indian
Ocean
Tsunami
Warning
and
Mitigation
System (IOTWS),
established
in
response
to the
Indian
Ocean
Tsunami
on
December
26,
2004.
The
IOTWS
has new
deep-water
buoys -
or
tsunami
sensors,
sirens,
tide
gauges
and a
web of
communications
systems
to help
forewarn
a future
catastrophe.
In
December
this
year,
Sri
Lanka
received
a loan
of Euro
24.9mn
from
Netherlands
for the
second
phase of
an
upgrade
of its
existing
disaster
response
network.
Under
the
phase
two, 18
fire
stations
built
under
phase
one will
be
upgraded
with
additional
equipment.
In
addition,
25 early
warning
towers,
15
disaster
management
coordinating
units, a
disaster
management
and
operation
centre
and
communications
system
are to
be built
under
the
second
phase.
With the
latest
additions,
Sri
Lanka
will
have a
more
sound
tsunami
warning
system
than the
existing
one and
be more
equipped
to
prevent
a
similar
catastrophe
from
occurring
again.
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