50 tsunami early warning towers planned

Rafik JALALDEEN

COLOMBO: The Government is to set up 50 more tsunami early warning towers along the coastal areas. The early warning towers will function 24 hours seven days a week.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the Income Recovery Assistance Programme (IRTAP) conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said all Parliamentarians had a vital role to play to resettle the victims and restore their livelihoods.

“All Parliamentarians from all the political parties and all the stakeholders played a united and great role in this exercise,” Minister Samarasinghe said.

The Income Recovery Technical Assistance Programme of the ILO launched in October 2005 in response to the devastation caused by the tsunami winded up its activities on August 31. To mark this event, a concluding ceremony was held at Ceylon Continental Hotel on Thursday.

“Disaster Risk Management is synonymous with sustainable development and it might integrate as part of the development,” he said.

He noted that Sri Lanka has experienced not only natural diasters but also man-made disasters as a result of the conflict.

The Government is ready to face any tsunami devastation in the future and people were trained to confront the situation.

“The Government has already built three tsunami early warning towers and will build 50 more early warning towers. The tsunami early warning towers will be connected to each other and with other early warning centres in the region.”

The Minister appreciated the international community’s assistance during the tsunami disaster.