State Minister says 15,000 families in earth slip prone areas advised to abandon homes

• Most of these constructions are illegal  
• When houses are built in hilly areas, special approval should be obtained from the NBRO
• 71 houses had been completely damaged while some 93,770 houses had been partially damaged

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera  

Some 15,025 families were residing in earth slip vulnerable areas and the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) had warned them to evacuate from such areas, State Minister of Defence Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon said yesterday.  

He told Parliament that most of these families had built their houses illegally without obtaining due permission from the NBRO.  

“When houses are built in hilly areas, special approval should be obtained from the NBRO. Most of these houses built in earth slip prone areas have not been approved by the NBRO. 

We have to consider such constructions as illegal and we have to treat them differently when providing relief and compensation in the future,” he said.  

Responding to a question by SLPP MP Akila Ellawala, the Minister said several Cabinet Papers had been presented over the years to relocate them ton safer places and added that only some of the families had been relocated so far.  

“It is a complex task. We have to build 15,025 houses to relocate them. Some families have been relocated by now. But, the issue is most of the families that have been relocated were reluctant to move out of their houses and some of them tend to obtain new houses while residing in the old house. We will take legal action against such families in the future,” he said.  

Meanwhile, he said the death toll due to inclement weather has gone up to 30 as of yesterday with one death being reported last morning.   The Minister said Rs. 25,000 has been granted to the families of the deceased for the funerals while discussions are in progress to grant another payment of compensation to families of the deceased.  

He said 71 houses had been completely damaged while some 93,770 houses had been partially damaged.  

The Minister said steps have been taken to estimate the damages caused to the houses and that compensation will be paid to the affected after completing the estimating process.