Damage figures inaccurate - JVP

16 January 2011 08:05 am Views - 4047

The JVP today alleged that the damage caused by the recent floods is much less than what is perceived by the government and that efforts were made by the state to use the natural disaster to cover up its inability to resolve the impending crisis with regard to price hikes of essential goods

JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a news conference today that the number of acres of paddy destroyed by the floods is much less than the given figure of 400,000 acres by the government. He explained that over two thirds of the total cultivation in the affected districts should get destroyed if this figure is correct but such a lot of acres have not been destroyed.

Besides Mr. Dissanayake explained that the paddy plant has the ability to survive inside the water for a couple of days and come up once again when the floods recedes.
 

Mr. Dissanayake said the information given on tanks was also inaccurate as the engineers of the Irrigation Department were able to save major tanks including Kantale, Rajangana, and Parakarama Samudra by minimizing damages. He said the situation was the same with other tanks as well. In this aspect the JVP MP said the reports by the government sources that nearly 400 tanks were destroyed cannot be accepted. (Yohan Perera )