Welengolla: Cornered into oblivion

Residents of Welengolla in Rideemaliyadda, which has been identified as the poorest Divisional Secretariat in the country, demand the eight km long dilapidated road through the village to the nearest town be renovated without delay.

Ven. Koleyaye  Jinaloka Thera.

They said that their children are on foot daily to Keselpotha to attend schools. “We also have to walk to the small market there to sell our produce and to the hospital as well. Over 800 families in the village have to find whatever transport method they can or resort to walk all the way to Keselpotha as there is no public transport service or a private bus service. Since the road is in a dilapidated stage, even a hand tractor has to overcome many barriers to reach the village along the dilapidated road,” they lamented.

Sachini Wasundara, a teacher, said that as the two culverts in the village were broken, the road is flooded even in a shower depriving the children from schools for many days. Even a pregnant woman has to walk miles for her clinics. The grave difficulties that these villagers are undergoing everyday are beyond imagination specially when taken into account that over 80 per cent of the villagers are suffering from kidney diseases.

S. M. Siriyawathie, another resident, also affirmed that many villagers are suffering from kidney diseases. She added that chemical fertilizer is not available and therefore many paddy fields and chena cultivation's have already been abandoned. She asked for fertilizer to carry on their livelihoods.

Chief Incumbent of the Sri Rathanajothi Darmayathanaya Ven. Koleyaye Jinaloka Thera said that the villagers are facing severe difficulties without a proper road and a public transport service. The Thera added that most of them live in hunger and if they fall ill, that will be their end since they cannot find a vehicle to access the hospital in the town on time.

The Thera also said that the villagers have been demanding solutions for these burning issues for many years but not a single one had been resolved to date. The Thera, therefore, urged the relevant authorities at least to renovate the road for them to access the nearest town. 

The road to Welengolla. Pictures by Prasanna Pathmasiri, Uva Province Group Corr.