A decade on, prosperity remains elusive for Lanka’s tsunami survivors

Thursday, 25 December 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ten years ago the Asian tsunami caused the world’s worst train tragedy, killing about 1,700 people near the tiny town of Peraliya in southern Sri Lanka and changed train guard Wanigaratne Karunatilake’s life. Karunatilake was on duty on 26 December 2004, which was also a public holiday in Sri Lanka, riding on the train affectionately called “Samudra Devi” or “Queen of the Sea”. It was a day that started out much like any other, he recalled, before the tsunami caused by an earthquake off the shore of Indonesia, sent massive waves that slammed into the train, hurling carriages off the track and drowning thousands. “In the first wave no passengers were injured, only one carriage was damaged. It was the second wave that swept the train off the tracks and killed so many people. I together with the remaining passengers went to a nearby temple. I remember that incident like it happened today,” he told the Daily FT.

Second wave

The time was about 9:30 in the morning when the packed train came to a halt. Hundreds of people, believing the train to be secure on the rails, climbed on top of the train to avoid being swept away. Others stood behind it, hoping the train would take the force of the water. “After the first wave I got off the train and walked up the track to see to the people. Then, when I saw the second wave I got back on the train and as the carriage flipped over I managed to crawl out of a window and climb onto the carriage roof and got swept away with the carriage,” he recalled. The wave caused flooding in the carriages and panicked passengers desperately tried to crawl out. Many never made it as the next, much larger, wave picked the train up and smashed it against the trees and houses which lined the track, crushing those seeking shelter behind it. Sections of the train settled against houses in the village of Peraliya adjoining the track. “I did not know it at the time but the driver and the assistant driver had both died inside the engine carriage.” “In fact every time I ride this line I remember that incident. I still work on the coastal line and I’m reminded of it every day.” In Peraliya alone the tsunami killed over 400 people. While worse damage to human life was caused by the tsunami in the eastern coastline, the train tragedy wove Peraliya into the timeless tale of Sri Lanka’s tsunami tale. Overall more than 35,000 Sri Lankans died in the tsunami though unofficial estimates put the number at twice that since entire villages were swept away in minutes. While Karunatilake was battling for his life, what he did not realise was the waves had reached his hometown a few kilometres away and wrecked everything he owned. “My house, my furniture, everything was lost. Even my car was swept away. All my accumulated property was lost. But I have managed to return to that same status within the last 10 years.” The long years battling to heal and rebuild their lives is a common enough story for thousands of tsunami survivors. Karunatilake has done better than most.

Housing issues

One of the biggest issues that has haunted the rehabilitation process is the quality of housing provided for survivors. Initially, the tsunami was followed by a wave of international aid that should have been better utilised, villagers say, but wasn’t because of clogged administration, policy tangles, rampant corruption and infighting among the people. Planning delays including problems over land allocation resulted in countless delays. Ultimately the Government allocated land where donors and private organisations built houses for the survivors. But in the rush to grab the aid before it dried out, many corners were cut, resulting in substandard houses, which are now falling apart. Many were never even completed. “There were two houses on one property but we only received compensation for one house,” complained A. Sriyani (33), who lives in Peraliya with her three children. Her husband was to have received a completely built house from the Government but construction stopped halfway. No roof, windows or doors were installed, making the dwelling impossible to live in. “As a fishermen my husband doesn’t make much money. We have three children so expenses are high. We had to rent a small house and move away. It’s very sad to see it now. Before the tsunami there was a well-built house here,” she said. None of the Government-backed houses were completed in Peraliya, she insisted. The Trade Minister at the time was dedicated to the reconstruction of the village and convinced donors to build over 150 houses but many of these were later abandoned as traumatised villagers moved out in droves. The silver lining for Peraliya is the hope of a new fishing harbour, which the Government allocated $ 2.3 million for in November. Later that same month President Mahinda Rajapaksa called for snap presidential polls to be held on 8 January and his Fisheries Minister crossed over to the Opposition, leaving the harbour project in limbo.

Many problems

Even in new villages that were constructed after the tsunami to relocate survivors, problems are many. “When it rains, the toilets overflow. None of the houses have proper kitchens and those who could afford built them later. Others make do,” noted P.A. Kamalawathie. She lost six members of her family to the tsunami including her mother, three sisters, a nephew and niece. The Government later relocated her to the Godagama tsunami village about five kilometres from her original home on the beach. But her son is a fishermen and often has to spend hours getting to the harbour. Many others in the 500 home village have given up their traditional way of life and work as labourers. Struggling to make a living, some of the women in these settlements have opted to work in the Middle East as migrant workers but times remain hard. People living in the Srikadurawatte tsunami housing scheme nearby tell the same story. Most of the 100 houses are unliveable, with many fallen down. Families are attempting to salvage the raw materials and demand assistance from the Government. There is little indication they will get the help they need. Yet the region is buzzing thanks to a lucrative tourism boom that is expected to see more than 1.2 million tourists arrive in Sri Lanka in 2014. Many will find their way to former tsunami-affected areas in the south and east, with some foreign currency trickling down to locals. Nonetheless, the bulk of tsunami survivors haven’t tapped into the industry. A decade on, Sri Lanka’s tsunami legacy is one of survival and resilience but prosperity remains elusive.