SLA stops post-tsunami project on Jaffna coast

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 11:28 GMT]
Sri Lanka army Monday stopped a ten million rupee project to clear Jaffna's Vadamaradchi coast of coral rocks ripped off the seabed by the Tsunami. Since the Tsunami hit Jaffna fishermen on this coast have been urging Sri Lankan government authorities and NGOs to help them remove the coral debris and make mooring points for their boats.

Sewa Lanka Foundation pledged ten million rupees for the work.

The project was inaugurated Monday.

However, commanding officers of the Sri Lanka army garrisons in Valvettithurai and Sakkottai stopped the work and told fisheries societies that coral rock debris on the beaches of Vadamaradchi can be cleared to make boat mooring points for fishermen only in places permitted by the military.

Project work was stopped following the military's intervention.