The Meteorological Department has expressed regret over their inability to forecast last week’s gale force winds and heavy rains that caused extensive damage in the South and some parts of the East but the Department has not accepted it as their fault, Minister of Disaster Management Mahinda Amaraweera told our sister paper Sunday Rivira.
The Colombo Observatory has further said that they have the capability only to record rough sea conditions and only when the wind there blows at a speed between 40 and 50 kilometres per hour.
When asked about the Indian Meteorological Department’s prediction about strong gale force winds, the Minister responded by stating that many websites had said that the prediction by the Indian authorities was wrong. The same was said by our authorities, too, Amaraweera further said.
On the question of whether the local authorities are in a position to predict a tsunami, the Minister said that at present there were no signs of a tsunami hitting the Lankan coasts but when one occurs in an adjoining foreign country there is enough time to take precautions here.
Amaraweera admitted that following the gale force winds and heavy rains a fortnight ago, the Sri Lankan public has lost confidence in the predictions by local authorities and to counter this negative aspect the Met Department would be thoroughly overhauled in the near future and Cabinet approval has already been obtained for this purpose, he said. New equipment to enable early and accurate predictions would be installed in Gonagala Kande by March next year, Amaraweera ensured.
The public and media were requested to enquire from the Met Department over the failure to predict the extreme climatic changes and the latter gave its explanation that was accepted by the media.
However, further inquiries are now being conducted to ascertain whether the Met authorities were at fault. Even some foreign experts on the subject have been invited to help this inquiry, he said.
An estimated 40 people have died during the tragedy and the District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries are assessing the damages to life and property in a bid to compensate for the losses.
He also said that after the inquiry if it was established that the authorities were at fault for not predicting the impending disaster on time, the officials would be punished irrespective of their position in the department.
When told that the Met officials admitted their fault, Amaraweera responded by stating that they did not accept it as their fault but only expressed regret.
The Minister said the Met Department lacks modern technology but steps were being taken to provide high tech facilities and work in liaison with countries advanced in climate change predictions.
On the question of landslides, he said places prone to landslides have already been identified and people living there informed. A special project would be undertaken to reduce damages due to landslides and moves are afoot to obtain foreign assistance to the tune of Rs 5 billion towards the envisaged project. (SS)
http://www.nation.lk/2011/12/04/news16.htm
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