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| Saturday, 01 January 2005 |
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An Operations Room of the Commissioner General of Essential Services has been established at the premises of the Ministry of Public Security, Law and Order at 15/5, Baladaksha Mawatha, Colombo 03 to co-ordinate and monitor activities and programs in the provision of relief measures and rehabilitation work in the areas devastated by the tidal waves. The Operations Room headed by the Commissioner General of Essential Services Tilak Ranaviraja will co-ordinate with the respective line Ministries, local and international organisations handling relief operations. A team of officials from several Ministries and Police will be on round the clock duty to monitor and co-ordinate the work. Steps have been taken to establish satellite communication links with respective Government Agents and District Secretaries in view of the disruption to telecommunication networks in the affected areas in order to facilitate relief operations. All those handling relief operations including state officials and agencies are requested to contact the Operations Room on following telephone numbers for clarification and assistance in the carrying out their work and logistical problems faced particulary in the supply of food supplies, medical services and development of infrastructure facilities in the affected districts. Telephone numbers of the Operations Room are: 2445030, 2395317, 2395318, 2395319, 2395320, 2395321, 2395322, 2395323, 2395324, 2395325, 0114740226, 0114740227, 0114740228, 0114740229, 0114740230, 0773166242. Fax: 2397521. As regards food supplies, consignments each consisting of 10 metric tons of rice, two metric tons of potatoes, 2000 tins of canned fish, two metric tons of dhal have been despatched to Hambantota, Galle, Matara, Kalutara, Batticaloa, Mullaitivu, Killinochchi, Jaffna and Ampara Districts by the Government since December 28th and the respective Government Agents and District Secretaries have confirmed receipt of these consignments in their areas. Sri Lanka Navy has organised transport of these consignments. On December 29th, a metric ton of sugar has also been despatched to each of the affected Districts. 1000 lanterns have also been despatched. Meanwhile, several private organisations too have already sent food and other facilities to the displaced persons in the Districts. The Commissioner General Mr. Ranaviraja has appealed to all individuals and organisations providing relief and assistance to coordinate with the District Secretaries and Government Agents of the areas in order to ensure that the assistance reach the most deserving and needy. There had been reports that while there is a glut of food supplies in certain areas certain other areas have not got sufficient goods. The Central Environmental Authority has commenced a program of chlorination of wells in Galle and Batticaloa Districts to ensure safe drinking water. Meanwhile, Richard Peiris and Co. has donated 1000 PVC Water tanks and 100 tanks have been despatched to each of the following Districts -Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Mullaitivu, Jaffna and Vavuniya. In addition the Water Supply and Drainage Board has also donated 510 water tanks too for these districts. Water is to be supplied to these areas through bowsers at the regional level. The Commissioner General of Essential Services has also taken action to co-ordinate foreign assistance that is coming in including medical services by arranging the despatch of their services in co-ordination with the Ministry of Health. Teams of local Medical Officers and para medical services personnel from Colombo have been sent to strengthen staff at hospitals in these areas and for work at Welfare Centres along with medical supplies. Foreign medical teams have also arrived from Italy, France, Japan, Turkey, Spain and Israel along with medical equipment and medicine and are already despatched to the areas. Italy has provided two field mobile hospitals which are being installed at Habaraduwa and Trincomalee. Australia, US and the Czech Republic among other countries that will send medical teams. Electricity supplies in the affected areas are being restored speedily by the Ceylon Electricity Board and supplies have been restored in many areas already. The clearing of the Galle Road is under way. The damaged bridges at Akurala (near Galle), Hikkaduwa and Magalla are being repaired temporarily to make them motorable, until permanent bridges are built. According to the information gathered by the Operations Room over five lakhs of displaced persons are being looked after at various Welfare Centres operated under supervision of the Government Agents and District Secretaries. The number of displaced persons in each district as reported by the Divisional Secretaries are as follows: Puttalam-350, Gampaha-2100, Ampara-188,843, Batticaloa-69,079, Trincomalee-93,407, Anuradhapura-2860, Kalutara-23,668, Jaffna 48,729, Vavuniya-2426, Galle-40,532, Colombo 21,976, Killinochchi-13,026, Mullaitivu-21,000, Hambantota-28,000 and Matara-22,349. (Issued by the Office of the Commissioner General of Essential Services) |
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