Atoll Chief at a loss over issues on Kolhufushi tsunami houses

22 December 2007
Report: Ayya

Atoll Chief of Mulak Atoll has said that he is at a loss over the problems involved in the construction of houses for tsunami victims in Kolhufushi.

Atoll Chief Abdul Rasheed Ali speaking to Miadhu said every time the construction starts, few people of the island create obstacles to bring the construction efforts to a standstill. He said a team comprising of officials from Disaster Management Center and representatives of the contractors of the houses visited the island on the 31 of October this year. He further said when the team arrived on the morning of the 31 of October; they were prevented from coming on to the island by some groups of the island. Atoll Chief further said that he forced to take the team to Muli of that Atoll for lunch and after lunch team departed to Male’.

Atoll Chief Abdul Rasheed revealed that this was the second time the team visited the island and that team also visited the island of Kolhufushi during last Ramazan. Chief Rasheed said every time officials from Disaster Ministry and Representatives of the Contractors visit the island these influential people of the community come out and bring the construction to a standstill and that even during the last visit women and children were coerce to come out on the beach to stage a protest.

Letters from the Disaster Management sent to owners of the 55 houses to determine the changes that needs to be brought to the design of the houses has already been passed on to the owners informed Atoll Chief. However he noted that 5 owners have refused to accept the letters and that most of the owners have already notified the changes they need. Chief Rasheed noted that these 5 people exert a lot of disruptive influence on the construction project.

He noted that while there are only handfuls that create these unwanted obstacles, many other owners of houses have raised the matter to him. He claimed that these owners expressed their dissatisfaction on the delay of the construction and reminded him of the hardships they face in living in temporary shelters. Rasheed noted that he has made repeated attempts to persuade these people to give up their way of thinking,

“Work will only progress only when started, I have repeatedly persuaded them give up their action, I have doubts whether they need houses” said Atoll Chief Rasheed.

Many claim that the government should construct 149 houses destroyed in the tsunami of 2004, and not just 55 houses. Atoll Chief has indicated that the rest of the houses will have to be constructed jointly by the government and the residents.

Kolhufushi is an island which was severely affected by the tsunami 2004. 149 houses were destroyed causing damage to property. Most of the residents of Kolhufushi now live in temporary shelters on the island.