Government pledges compensation for Vanni farmers

<p>The Sri Lankan government has pledged compensation for farmers who had their paddy fields ruined by extreme flooding this month, Colombo Page reports.&nbsp;</p> <p>The minister of agriculture made the order to provide the compensation via the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board of Sri Lanka.&nbsp;</p> <p>Rs 100,000 per hectare or Rs. 40,000 per acre of damaged paddy field land has been pledged.&nbsp;</p> <p>Read more <a href="http://www.colombopage.com/archive_18B/Dec31_1546242305CH.php">here</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>More than 120,000 people have been affected by the recent floods that have struck across the Vanni, according to data released by the government’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC).</p> <p>The data comes as reports emerge&nbsp;the flooding was caused by the negligence of officials who allowed Iranamadu tank was allowed to overfill followed by the simultaneous opening of all the sluice gates.&nbsp;</p> <p>An overwhelming response in donations from Tamil diaspora worldwide has been distributed across the Vanni via local civil society groups, student organisations and charities.&nbsp;</p>