Progress of Post Disaster Management Process of Landslides in Sri Lanka: with Special Reference to Two Major Landslides in Budulla District

Abstract

This paper investigates the progress of post disaster management process for the victims of landslides in Badulla District. According to the Disaster Management Policy of Sri Lanka, it is expected to recover the victims‟ life as soon as possible and adopt to normal life that they tasted at before the disaster. Thousands of victims of the landslides in Sri Lanka are disgusted by the slaw progress of recovery, and they are socially and economically excluded by this target less post disaster recovery process. On the 29th of October 2014, a major landslide occurred in Koslanda in the district of Badulla resulting in deaths and displacement of a plantation community. There were about 830 people who initially transferred to two evacuation centers in Koslanda Tamil School and Punagala Tamil School. Later they were moved to a safer location in Punagala. In the same year and the month, Rillpola landslide was occurred and 13 people died. There were 290 people in 60 families 290 who were evacuated to Weliwattha, and Katawaththa community centers. Meeriabedda-Koslanda landslide is occurred in Haldummulla Divisional Secretariat Division and Rilpola Landslide which is located in Haliela Divisional Secretariat Division in Badulla District has been selected for case studies which were occurred in two years ago. To find the answers for the research questions, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were applied. 40 families of the victims were selected as the sample and semi-structured questionnaire and semi structured focused group discussions and key informant discussions were conducted to collect the data and information. The results of the study has revealed that the victims of these two landslides are still in temporary camp sites and their present life is in more unsatisfactory condition than their previous life.