Hundreds of residents from more than 1,000 families staged a protest in Sri Lanka’s Puttalam Divisional Secretariat Division on Friday.
They have accused local authorities of failing to release promised disaster relief payments of Rs. 25,000 for cleaning damaged homes.
The protest led to the complete blockage of traffic along the Wanathawilluwa road for several hours, disrupting travel in the area.
Protestors also shut down the Veppamaduwa junction on the Puttalam–Old Mannar road, bringing vehicles to a standstill.
Residents from several villages, including Madina Nagar, Rahamath Nagar and New City, took part in the demonstration, noting that they continued to face hardship following the disaster and had yet to receive the cash assistance pledged to help with cleanup efforts.
Protesters said the delay in payments had worsened living conditions for affected families and accused officials of failing to respond to repeated appeals.
They warned that the protest would continue until the Rs. 25,000 relief payment is distributed.
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