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Perils of cleanup
Cleaning up also comes with its share of dangers.
Mr. T. Nesharaashaa, who oversees the lagoon cleanup project for USAID, said "Things like metal roofing sheets, uprooted trees, vans, and tuk-tuks were washed into lagoon. About 80 percent of the debris is from Navalady."
Villagers use basic equipment like shovels and pieces of cloth to collect and transport debris to a pile of rubble, and suffer from minor injuries like scrapes and cuts from broken glass and concrete slabs.
"My friend could not work for two days because a tree branch hit his chest while the machinery was taking it out of the water", recalled Navalady diver Siva.
There is also no plan made to dispose of harmful materials such as asbestos, said Mr. A. Kevnaumna, 49, a former Batticaloa District Officer for the CEA for the last 12 years.
Asbestos, a material used for roof paneling widely used in Sri Lanka, is released when the material is sawed or crushed.
"Asbestos is a cancer-causing substance and is dangerous. The CEA is inactive", said Kevnauma, currently a field coordinator for the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
Not all recycling is good for the environment, said Kevnauma. He fears that by filling up low lying lands, the lagoon's natural drainage system will be disrupted, aggravating floods in an already flood-prone area. The CEA has no plans to control the situation yet.
Hopes remain
Currently, the villagers are happy with the extra income that the debris provides.
Miss R. Mehla, 16, who is awaiting her O-level results, is helping out with the clearance work.
"If I stay at home, I get lazy. If I start clearing, I stop being lazy, and I earn some cash. The beach gets cleaned. I get some pocket money", she said, flashing a huge smile.
Though happy to participate in debris clearance work, the villagers remain more concerned about the restoration of their livelihoods.
Most, like Siva, hope to resume normal jobs next year. He said, "My grandmother told me that Navalady was uninhabited 50 years ago. I hope it won't return to the way it was."
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