With authorities still focused on disaster relief, the economic costs of the tidal wave in Sri Lanka is yet to be measured in a meaningful way, but tourism and fisheries are the hardest hit

With authorities still focused on disaster relief, the economic costs of the tidal wave in Sri Lanka is yet to be measured in a meaningful way, but tourism and fisheries are the hardest hit.

With authorities still focused on disaster relief, the economic costs of the tidal wave in Sri Lanka is yet to be measured in a meaningful way, but tourism and fisheries are the hardest hit. Entire fishing villages with their inhabitants have been washed away, and those who survived have lost vital equipment such as boats and nets.

Beach tourism, which has been a top foreign exchange earner since the ceasefire agreement two years ago has seen their infrastructure swept away from Kalutara in the Western Province to Yala which is off Hambantota in the deep South.

"Its a grim picture here," an official of a top tour operator who had rushed to the area to co-ordinate the repatriation of tourists back to their home countries said.

Jetwing Group's Yala Safari Game Lodge and Browns Beach, another resort near the Yala National Park had been devastated by the tsunami, killing local and foreign guests as well staff.

The main rail link to the south of the island had suffered massive damage at sever