President Maithripala Sirisena instructed Members of Parliament and Provincial Councils and Heads of government institutions to speed up the relief mechanism to help those who lost their houses and livelihood due to the recent floods in 16 Divisional Secretaries Divisions in the Matara District.
The President met the politicians and officials at the Matara District Secretariat yesterday.
Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Sagala Rathnayaka, Vajira Abeywardena, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Chief Minister Shan Wijayalal de Silva, State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Members of Parliament Dullas Alahapperuma, Sunil Handuneththi, Kanchana Wijesekera, Niroshan Premarathna, Buddika Pathirana and Commanders of the armed forces also participated.
President Sirisena thanked District Secretary Pradeep Rathnayake and government officials and civil organisations that worked to assist 191,600 persons displaced in the district due to the recent floods. He said the government has taken action to provide relief for every one affected. He instructed officials to identify land to relocate families whose houses have been totally damaged and who are in high risk zones.
The land would be acquired by the government within two weeks after the National Building Research Organisation’s approval is received.
The President said every Divisional Secretariat should have at least two or three boats and out board engines and officials to handle them as they can act when a crisis arises.
He gave this directive in response to an allegation that Disaster Management Centre or Navy could not reach some areas in time when flood waters started rising.
Officials were asked to make alternative arrangements to house those who could not return their homes and vacate schools that are being used as welfare centers.
Parliamentarian Dullas Allahapperuma said the phase III of the Nilwala Gnaga Scheme should be implemented as a permanent solution to the recurrent flooding of the Nilwala basin.