After an extensive observation tour of storm and flood affected areas in the North Central Province yesterday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa mobilised local officials and planners on a twin track disaster response of both immediate safety and relief measures as well as post-disaster economic and social recovery programming. President Rajapaksa yesterday toured the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts personally inspecting some of the most affected areas of the country hit by unusually heavy monsoonal rainstorms and, after consultations with local officials and experts, called for sustained rescue and relief operations in response to the adverse weather.
President Rajapaksa met political authorities and state officials from the affected districts at the Anuradhapura President’s House in the morning and looked into the relief programmes on-going, a communique from the President’s Media Office said.He directed officials to expedite welfare measures catering to the affected population on an uninterrupted basis, the communique said. The disaster response operations are being implemented in two stage process. The communique said that it comprised a first stage of immediate relief measures during the disaster period and the second stage of a recovery programme to be implemented after the disaster.
The President emphasised that the government was working with great responsibility in these matters. The communique said that 10 out of 22 administrative divisions in the Anuradhapura district had been affected by the disaster situation. A total of 5,181 people belonging to 1,561 families had been affected to date since December 20. Of them, 2,923 members of 937 families had been sent to safe areas. They were being provided with cooked meals as well as dry food rations.
President Rajapaksa directed officials to look into the damage caused to houses and to take early action to repair them.It was reported that cleaning activities had already been launched in housing in areas where flood waters had receded.President Rajapaksa also directed officials to look into the provision of health facilities to flood affected people. Attention was also drawn towards the urgent repair of damaged infrastructure including tanks, anicuts, roads and canals.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also directed officials to quickly assess the damage caused to agriculture and take remedial measures.Minister S. M. Chandrasena, State Ministers Duminda Dissanayake and Shehan Semasinghe, NCP Governor Prof. Tissa Vitharana, Parliamentarians Weerakumara Dissanayake and S. C. Muthukumarana, Presidential Advisor Lalith Weeratunga, Defence Ministry Secretary Maj. General (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne and several other state, Tri Forces and Police officials attended the meeting with the President.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also visited several relief centres housing displaced persons and look into their welfare yesterday.Among them were the Rajangana Tract 2 Dutugemunu Viharaya and the Tract 9 Bodirajarama Viharaya.President Rajapaksa also presided over a meeting at the Polonnaruwa District Secretariat to discuss relief programmes for flood affected people in the Polonnaruwa district. He was also due to inspect welfare centres in Elahera housing flood affected families.
programmes for flood affected people in the Polonnaruwa district. He was also due to inspect welfare centres in Elahera housing flood affected families.
