by Melani Manel Perera

After ending search operations, the government wants to place a plaque on the disaster site with the names of the dead and missing. Several groups accuse the government and tea plantation owners of "collusion and criminal negligence."

Colombo (AsiaNews) - Various civil society organisations have called on the Sri Lankan government to provide schools, housing and compensation to the victims of a mudslide that wiped out an entire village in the District of Badulla.

The various groups met yesterday and issued a press release urging the authorities to help the villagers, most of whom worked at nearby plantation.

On Sunday, the government terminated rescue operations for people still missing after relatives called for "an end to the search," said Disaster Management Minister, Mahindananda Amaraweera.

The government's Information Department said it would place a memorial plaque on the site with the names of the dead and the missing.

However, civil society organisations called the plan "shameful," accusing the government and the plantation owners of "collusion and criminal negligence."

For many, the authorities and the landowners knew about the coming bad weather but failed to warn residents.

Thus, in their press release, the various groups urged the authorities to "take action" against those who failed to secure the area, especially those who failed to issue an evacuation order.

Finally, "the government and the [plantation] company should soon present plans for compensation and relocation of the surviving families" so that people "can live again."

To do this, "it is essential to identify safe areas in which to rebuild the community's homes."

• sri
• lanka
• mudslide
• search
• rescue
• operations