Ariyalai residents' resettlement delayed due to uncleared mines

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 June 2003, 11:09 GMT]
Residents of Maniyam thottam in Ariyalai Southeast in Jaffna district, in a letter to the Nallur Pradeshya sabha secretary, have appealed to expedite clearing of mines in Mulli area in Ariyalai to facilitate their temporary resettlement in Mulli, said local reports from Jaffna.

650 families of Maniyam thottam were displaced from their homes as they fell inside the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) marked High Security Zone (HSZ). These families are currently languishing in refugee centers or are living in desperate conditions with their relatives and friends in Gurunagar, Navanthurai, Eechamoddai and Pasiyoor areas, reports said.

Nallur Pradeshya sabha officials have previously planned to resettle these families temporarily in Mulli to alleviate the crowding in the villages where they are currently residing. The plans were put on hold as there were delays in scheduled mine clearing in the Mulli area.

The increasingly worsening sitution the displaced families urgently want their relocation needs addressed by the Nallur Pradeshya sabha officialss, reports said.