ROAD CLEARING REMAINS A FORMIDABLE TASK

Nuwara- Eliya worst affected by Ditwah:

- By Shantha Chandrasiri

Nuwara-Eliya District, the worst affected by the Ditwah cyclone followed by floods and landslides, looks like a wrecked landscape with mounds of earth and rocks obstructing the main highways and access roads leading to places of tourist attraction

Owing to the salubrious climate and scenic beauty of highly sensitive environmental zones rich in biodiversity, it has been one of the most popular tourist destinations and a health resort in the country. Not a single foreigner visiting Sri Lanka would want to miss an enjoyable trip along winding roads skirted with lush green tea estates and cascading waterfalls.

However the extensive damage caused to Nuwara-Eliya District is unprecedented and unestimable, and has a serious impact on the tourist industry. Government authorities have been able to open the roads to provide single-lane traffic, creating bottlenecks at several locations. The authorities are not precise as to when normalcy could be restored.

Clearing obstructions caused by the huge amounts of earth and rocks washed down the hills onto the roads and their surroundings is a formidable task. They have estimated that the earth and rocks waiting to be removed are approximately 400,000 cubes. They also fear further earthslips while earth clearing is going on.