Koslanda chaos raised in P’ment

Thursday, 30 October 2014 00:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent Landslips in Meeriyabedda in Koslanda and the suburbs came under the limelight when Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremasinghe demanded the Government to explain the relief measures taken.

Minister of Plantation Industries Mahinda Samarasinghe outlining the relief measures launched said: “This is a national disaster. We have taken all possible measures to provide reliefs to people in that area. Police and the military are already engaged in rescue operations. It is premature for us to provide you the total number of lives lost and the rescued.” Commending the estate management for the support extended the minister stated that he will suggest the local authorities to take support of the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) under the Ministry of Disaster Management to identify vulnerable areas. “We need to identify the susceptible areas for landslips. NBRO has already done the necessary mapping. We have requested them to establish a branch of theirs in the respective areas. If necessary we expect the estate managements to relocate the plantation workers,” he added.

More than 300 people are believed to be trapped in the morning’s land slide at Haldummulla in Badulla while eight bodies have been recovered. More than 100 houses at Haldummulla were damaged or destroyed by a landslide yesterday morning. The Army and Police are carrying out rescue operations – Pix by Ishan Sanjeewa

Estate disregarded landslide warning

A landslide warning issued to the estate where many people were buried alive yesterday, had been disregarded by the owners of the estate and the residents, according to former Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe. He said that an investigation must be launched into the estate owners as to why they disregarded the warning issued in 2011, which had now led to many deaths according to a report in the Colombo Gazette.