Sri Lanka commissions first Int’l lethal chemical team with a $2.36 m outlay and a ‘chemical attack’

Having successfully initiated its first Chemical Plan in October 2011, Sri Lanka has now moved to commission its first international level Lethal Chemical Monitoring and Response Team-with no less than a chemical attack simulation scenario. “With the support of Hague based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and my Ministry, we have now begum to implement last year’s Chemical Plan,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen.

Minister Bathiudeen announced this to his officials on 5 April upon officially witnessing the chemical attack simulation scenario jointly staged at the Fire Department premises, Colombo 6 by a team consisiting of members from Fire Department, tri-forces, members of the chemical team and paramedics on 5 April organised by the National Authority for the Implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention under Minister Bathiudeen’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce with the support and presence of Hague based OPCW. The simulation scenario staged for over an hour saw various incidents after a chemical attack, including the moving in of the first respondents’ team, evacuation coordination, and setting up victim de-contamination chambers.

The event also saw the first national batch of 42 Response Specialist team who are also trainers of future chemical specialists, completing their training and readying for their next steps. The trainers’ team consists of officers from Criminal Investigations Department, members of tri-forces, the Police, medical doctors, and government analysts department. Among the private sector observers were from Heyleys, Unilever, Hettigoda Industries and Colombo Dockyard.

“We commenced the process of designing a Chemical Emergency First Responders’ Plan in October 2011. What is important about this pioneering plan was the global compliance standard we will achieve once it is completed. Without this plan, no international investor will want to enter Sri Lanka’s chemical sector in future,” Minister Bathiudeen emphasised.

Development of National Protection Programmes for emergency response in case of Chemical Weapons attacks or in chemical emergencies has been taken up with the Ministry of Disaster Management by the National Authority for the Implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention under Minister Bathiudeen’s Ministry.

Minister Bathiudeen was witnessing the series of training programmes for development of the Response Specialist team. The first four modules of this training programme have been successfully completed with the technical assistance from the OPCW to the value of Rs. 180 million ($ 1.4 million) from the total from the total Rs. 300 million ($ 2.36 million). The Ministry of Industry and Commerce bears $ one million.  National Authority for the Implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention Director Dr. Rohan P. Perera under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said, “Training for private sector industries will start next. We intend to teach them how to minimise chemical accidents by going through proper preparation procedures.”