These days you hear of disaster caused by heavy rain all over our dear country. I would wish to share our experience here in Rattota which is situated in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the famous range of Knuckles Mountain.
Our experience here in Rattota
These days you hear of disasters caused by heavy rain all over our dear country. We would like to share our experience here in Rattota which is situated in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the famous range of Knuckles Mountain. It's also called Riverston. It is in these ranges that we have the beautiful tea estate called Nicholoya which has three divisions Lower, Upper and Middle. Higher than this estate on the right side there is another estate named Singemalai. We always enjoy the beautiful sceneries when we visit these estates for celebrating Mass and visiting families.
On the 16th December, by 12.30 p.m., heavy rains started and continued till the 18th noon.
This created fear in the minds of the people. On the 18th morning at about 4 a.m. the people heard an unusual sound of a helicopter, some opened their doors to look for this unusual sound and saw the huge rocks rolling. They started shouting asking the people to leave their houses and come towards the upper division. Within a few seconds water came gushing from the mountain. All the people who lived in the lower part of the Upper Division managed to come out and without waiting for the dawn they started running to save their precious lives. Since Rottota town is 20 kilometers away from Nicholoya Estate they did not want to take the risk of walking. They kept praying that they may see the dawn.
By dawn they were stunned by the sight before them - the disaster which the heavy rains had caused. The whole area was disfigured. There was no more a beautiful mountain but a huge river with a vast area covered with mud. They said that it was unbelievable to see what had happened; how they could still be alive with such a disaster. They also started to look for each other. Only then they realized that 6 members in a family had disappeared. A young girl of 20 related that she saw her mother getting washed away while she stood helpless. With all this heaviness in their hearts they started walking to Rattota town. Fortunately the lower division escaped from this disaster. But now there are no more Upper and Middle divisions of Nicholoya Estate which was a beautiful mountain with eye catching scenery. The damage caused by these torrential rains is unimaginable!
The surrounding mountains are also affected by the heavy blasting of the rocks. Most of the people are Tea Pluckers.
At present there are 764 people as refugees in Rattota placed in a Baptist School and in the hall of the urban council office. In a day or two they will be sent to Hindu College (Maha vidyalaya). Among them 127 are children under 14 years.
The other affected Estates are:
Bambarakandhe - 197 persons with 36children
Dankandhe - 125 persons with 57 children
Pita kandhe - 148persons with 43 children
Midland - 67 persons with 24 children
The needs of the people are been cared for by the government as well as by the people living around.
We three sisters too give ourselves generously mainly listening to the stories of the people, giving shelter to those in need and reminding those in authority to find a suitable place to re-settle them.
The question arises as to why such a disaster on top of the mountain? What's the reason for the rocks to roll from so high? We took the opportunity to speak to some quarry breakers to say that now it's enough. The amount of dynamite used to blast rocks is all illegal. The disturbance and damage caused to nature is paid for by these poor voiceless people.
Human decisions without foresight are even changing the geology of our world! This indeed is a call for all of us to become aware of what we do to nature and in turn to our own selves!
Thanks for being with us.
Holy Family sisters
Rattota