Gammadda continues door-to-door campaign

COLOMBO (News1st): The Gammadda team visited the Trincomalee district to listen to the problems of the people as part of the door-to-door initiative on Tuesday. The Kantale Sugar Factory that served as a source of income for several people has remained closed for the last 27 years. The village of Seenipura has been home to the employees of the factory, for a very long time. However, life is not sweet for about 80 families that reside in the area. Villagers point out that they don't have legal ownership for their land as well. With wild elephants attacking the village constantly, their troubles become worse due to the lack of clean drinking water. Although politicians pledge to recommence operations at the factory and to provide clean drinking water, these promises are yet to become a reality. The construction of the Angampora Craft Village had begun in 2014, after acquiring lands used for chena cultivation by residents of Digana in the Kurunegala District. However, the construction of the village is yet to be completed. Although buildings have been constructed properly, the concept of building a craft village has become a white elephant. Electric wires in the constructions have been damaged, while roof tiles have been stolen by thieves. Meanwhile, the people of the Magama village in the Tissamaharama Divisional Secretariat in Hambantota have been hit by the shortage of water. The Kirinda Oya runs through this village making it the only source of water for residents. However, the banks of the Kirinda Oya have begun to erode due to illegal sand mining, thereby increasing the salinity in its water. The request of these villagers is to prevent seawater mixing with the river and to stop sand mining. The people of the Mahakirinda village in Nikaweratiya have been facing longstanding issues posed by wild elephants. It has been seven days since a villager had been killed by the wild elephant in the area. Wild elephants encroach the village by barging through the electric fences. The only request of the teary-eyed villagers who spoke to Gammadda was an elephant fence.