National Safety Day messages

Public awareness key to prevent disasters - President

Public awareness and identifying disaster situations play a vital role in thwarting future calamities, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

In a message to mark National Safety Day the President said: In my opinion naming December 26, the day on which our country faced the tsunami, as National Security Day is a recognition of the national dignity of a nation that overcame challenges.

There are many things that the tsunami denied to us. You are aware that the Government resolutely worked to provide people with everything except the lives lost.

On that occasion the world acclaimed our successful emergence from disaster overcoming challenges much better than all other countries that shared the same fate. The absence of an early warning system to correctly identify a situation of danger and take precautions was also one of the reasons for the heavy destruction caused by the tsunami to our country.

The Government having realised this situation has taken a multitude of steps such as the establishment of a Disaster Management Ministry.

Installation of a disaster management activities to meet such risks in future.

I believe commemorating the National Safety Day annually too will play a significant role in creating peoples' awareness in identifying disaster situations.