President spearheads operations at the site
Friday, 31st October 2014
Instructs officials to release lands necessary to resettle displaced families
Special program to be drawn up for children who lost parents
President Mahinda Rajapaksa flew to Meeriyabedda in Koslanda, Haldummulla last morning to look into the needs and welfare of the people affected by Wednesday's landslide.
The President who made a bee-line to the Koslanda Sri Ganesha Tamil Vidyalaya where the affected families are accommodated, inspected the welfare measures underway for the stricken. Later, the President met officials handling relief activities and inquired about the progress of welfare measures underway.
He instructed officials to release lands necessary to re-settle displaced families immediately, and emphasised that a special program should be drawn up for the security and welfare of children who had lost their parents or guardians during the tragedy.
Referring to the request made by people to remove the massive mound of earth resulting from the landslide, the President said it should be done under the guidance of the Building Research Institute after proper research in the affected region.
The President also pointed out to warnings sounded by experts that the immediate removal of the mound of earth would precipitate more landslides in the region, stressing the importance of undertaking this exercise under expert guidance.
The President who said that it is the bounden duty of state officials to advice on the eviction of people from disaster and landslide prone areas for re-settlement in safer areas, added that estate owners were duty bound to follow such instructions.
The President said the lives of innocent people cannot be sacrificed due to negligence.
The Security Forces together with the police and the residents last morning recommenced the rescue operations that were halted on Wednesday night due to adverse weather conditions in the Koslanda area.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Army yesterday deployed a contingent of Commandos in addition 500 soldiers sent from the Sri Lanka Army's 11 Division, to assist the massive search operation for landslide victims.
According to Army spokesman Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera, heavy machinery including backhoes, excavators and earth moving equipment were deployed to the site to expedite the rescue mission.
He said that soil condition and the inclement weather in the area slowed the ongoing search operation.
The Sri Lanka Air Force yesterday dispatched a Bell 212 helicopter to the area for reconnaissance and rescue operations as and when required by the Diaster Management Centre. According to a senior Air Force official, one MI 17 Helicopter and Bell 212 helicopter were placed on standby at Ratmalana and Nuwara Eliya to meet any requirement of the Disaster Management Centre.
Warning of the possibility of fraudulent persons coming forward to claim orphaned children as experienced during the tsunami, the President asked officials to protect and maintain the children in a public place until they are handed over to the rightful relatives or a permanent program is formulated for their upkeep.
The President directed health officials to cater to the health needs of these children as well as people accommodated in temporary camps.
Ministers Arumugan Thondaman and Mahinda Amaraweera, Uva Chief Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Provincial Minister Senthil Thondaman, Parliamentarians Namal Rajapaksa, Uditha Lokubandara and Rohana Pushpakumara, Chief of Presidential Staff Gamini Senarath, Central Province Security Forces Commander Mano Perera and Badulla GA Rohana Keerthi Dissanayake were also present on the occasion.
From : http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=local/wake-tragedy
