Red Cross constructs permanent houses for Trinco tsunami victims

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 February 2006, 16:30 GMT]
Mr.S.Nimalkumar, National Secretary of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) Sunday morning laid the foundation stone for a permanent housing project for tsunami affected Sinhalese families in the Trincomalee town and its suburbs at Sumedhankarapura, located at 5th Mile Post along Trincomalee-Kandy highway. The Japan Red Cross Society (JRCS) has been funding three permanent housing projects for tsunami affected families through the Trincomalee district SLRCS, SLRCS sources said.

The first housing project for tsunami-affected Muslim families is underway in Kinniya division. Under this project one hundred houses are to be constructed. Already the construction of about fifty houses is nearing completion, JRCS sources said.

Foundation stone was laid Sunday for the second housing project in Sumedhankarapura for Sinhalese families. Seventy-one permanent houses are to be constructed under this project. Beneficiaries are from several coastal areas in Trincomalee town, sources said.

The third housing project for tsunami affected Tamil families in the coastal areas of Trincomalee town and its suburbs has been located at Konesapuri in Kuchchaveli division in the north of east port town. Under this project 193 permanent houses are to be constructed and the work on this project is expected to commence shortly, SLRCS sources said.

Each house is to be constructed on 550 square feet in ten perch of land with two rooms, a kitchen, verandah and attached toilet facilities at an estimated cost of 1.2 million rupees including the provision for electricity and water supply and water safety, JRCS sources said.

At Sunday's event held in Sumedhankarapura, Mr.Nimalkumar, National Secretary of the SLRCS, Dr.E.G.Gnanagunalan, President of the SLRCS Trincomalee district, Mr.Satoshi Funahashi, Organization Development Delegate of the JRCS, Ms.Makiko Kikuchi, Health Delegate of the JRCS and several other officials participated.