Met Department better equipped to forecast weather

By Manjula FERNANDO

The Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says Sri Lanka is now better equipped to face threats of natural disasters including tsunamis. The newly commissioned tsunami response mechanism, supported by leading US and British technology has elevated the country's preparedness to 90 per cent. But, he cautioned that people's response, reaction and contribution is crucial in saving lives.

In an interview with the Sunday Observer Minister Amaraweera also added the Meteorology Department which comes under the purview of the Disaster Management Ministry is to undergo a complete overhaul in 2012. Three separate projects, implemented next year at a cost of Rs. 2,000 million, will introduce here the world's latest technology in weather forecasting. The projects will cover capacity building at the main office and setting up of new stations.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: There was an international tsunami drill covering the countries in the Indian Ocean a week ago. What was the feedback on Sri Lanka's tsunami response mechanism?

A: We are conducting the drills on a routine basis. The objective is to keep the memories of past disasters afresh in the minds of people and train them to react appropriately to minimise damage to life and property in a future disaster. Such drills are important as Sri Lanka no longer considered a safe zone from earthquakes, a devastating tsunami can strike our country any moment. Unfortunately our people tend to forget incidents very soon.

These drills help us identify gray areas in our disaster response mechanism as well.

Q: How prepared is Sri Lanka today for a natural calamity such as a tsunami?

A: When the 2004 boxing day tsunami struck Sri Lanka, there was no tsunami response mechanism within the country. No early warning towers, no evacuation mechanism, nothing. That was why the impact of the 2004 tsunami was so huge. Many of us had not even heard the word tsunami until December 26, 2004.

Today we have acquired the latest technology to deal with a situation like that. We have completed setting up early warning towers covering all high risk areas. The work is still continuing and an additional 25 towers are to be commissioned within this year. The technology of the early warning towers is from the American Signal Corporation. The towers are linked to a satellite network hosted by the British satellite telecommunications giant Inmarsat.

However, people's reaction and response is crucial in a disaster situation. If they do not fall in line, there is no use in having even the most advanced early warning system in place.

Q: How does the early warning system operate?

A: Our Meteorology Department and the Disaster Management Centre are operative 24 hours of the day. When a tsunami alert is issued by international centres these two bodies get into action within minutes.

Several things happen simultaneously, the towers start to disseminate a prerecorded warning in all three languages - Sinhala, Tamil and English. One tower covers an area of 2 kms and the siren can be heard up to 3 kilometres. In addition SMS messages are sent to mobile phones with the help of mobile phone operators, Army camps and police stations will be notified via radio messages. Disaster Management Centre can even send voice messages to the towers under VHS technology.

There are disaster management and coordinating units set up in 25 districts. Their coastal units will be notified via radio messages when a warning is received by us. Then the evacuation process begins. This will be unique to each area. Some may use Public Address units, mega phones, etc to evacuate the people. One method will not be suitable to another area. Amapara district was the most affected in the 2004 tsunami. The population density and the ground level were key factors. Hence we regard this district as the highest risk area to a tsunami.

Q: If we evaluate our status of preparedness from 2004 December to today. Where are we now?

A: We can be truly satisfied with the level we have achieved today with regard to disaster preparedness, especially to face a threat of tsunami. I could say we have raised our level from zero to 90 %. But still there are areas that need to be improved.

These tsunami prone areas are also the areas constantly affected by floods. Our past experiences show disasters, often than not struck on public holidays. There is no scientific explanation to this but that has been the case in the past. Even the 2004 tsunami was on the day after Christmas, a public holiday.

Considering this we have made plans to set up disaster committees under village level. Even if the Disaster Management Centre is operative 24 hours a day, the other relief work handled by State officials need to be looked after. These committee members have been trained on rescue missions. Their other task is to arrange cooked meals for the disaster victims until the state mechanism takes over. This way we will not let the victims miss even a single meal in a disaster situation.

Q: What are the other areas of responsibilities of the Ministry?

A: Floods are the second biggest disaster threat for Sri Lanka. Recently Batticaloa received a record rainfall. Their usual annual rainfall was received within a matter of about 30 hours. We are prepared to respond to such situations 24 hours of the day. Landslides, elephant-human conflict incidents, animal attacks too come under our ministry.

In the past we have been focusing on disaster response and relief. But now our prime concern is mitigation and damage control.

Q: There is a significant number of deaths attributed to lightening accidents. What measures are being taken to mitigate this problem?

A: Nearly 60 - 70 people in the country die annually due to lightening. This is so pathetic as it is a preventable death. The property damage due to lightening is also significant. The Ministry has appointed a special committee comprising scientists like Dr. Chandana Jayaratne to formulate recommendations and initiate programs targeting people living in lightening prone areas. The highest number of deaths due to lightening in Sri Lanka is reported from Horana in the Kalutara district. Last month we conducted a public workshop at Sripali Vidyalaya where they learned about the threat and the ways to protect themselves. Over 1,000 people took part.

Ratnapura district records the next highest number of deaths. Therefore we are planning a second lightening awareness workshop in Ratnapura. Awareness plays a keyrole in preventing lightening disasters and the Ministry is taking the leadership in this role. Especially the school children have become a bridge in carrying the message across to their parents. Hence the school workshops have proved highly effective.

The most difficult part of our job is to manage people. Even if we go high tech and acquire the most modern equipment for disaster management and mitigation, that will be futile if people do not respond the way they are expected of.

Q: The officials working on the projects to mitigate urban flooding have been fighting a constant battle with the encroacher?

A: Even for the flood situation, the people themselves who get affected are somewhat accountable for aggravating the situation. People encroach lake bunds, block streams or fill marshy lands that act as sponges which absorb the rain water.

We have now undertaken a mega project to mitigate flash flooding in Colombo.

This project which is to be implemented in 2012 on a soft loan by the World Bank is expected to cost Rs.8 billion. It is implemented in collaboration with the Defence Ministry and the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Development Corporation. The feasibility study for the project has already been completed by the SLLRDC.

The project will cover the areas in Thummulla, Devi Balika Girls School (Borella), Bloemendhal and Maligawatte, etc.

A national level flood mitigation plan for the Colombo MC area will be developed under the project. It includes clearing and cleaning of rain water outlets leading to sea, cleaning of canals and lakes within Colombo - the work of which has already begun under the Defence Ministry, marshy land development and renovation and expansion of the drainage system.

Poor maintenance of the drainage lines is the main cause for the flash floods issue in Colombo and we have proposed major structural adjustments also in the areas affected.

Once the project is over in two years Colombo will not go under water with every rainfall. I think this is the first time a developing country is embarking on a project like this.

Q: Meteorology Department is also under the Disaster Management Ministry. Our met forecast is yet to win people's trust. When will this be changed?

A: Yes earlier the people said if the Met Dept. forecast rain there will be plenty of sunshine and vice versa. But now the situation has improved. Whatever the improvements we have achieved is due to the dedication of our officers. We are still lacking the necessary technology that could make 100% accurate forecasts.

But according to met officials a change in the weather can occur within as short period as 15 minutes in tropical countries, the countries close to the equator, due to the intensity of the sun. But the technology gaps contribute to our flawed forecasts, there is no two words.

The response to your question will come in 2012. We are in the process of upgrading the Met Department. The Korean Government under KOICA will be donating us a satellite imagery reception and processing station in the first quarter of 2012. This unit is worth US $ 2 million.

In addition, the Japanese Government via JAICA has informally approved a project proposal by the Met Department, that call for a complete overhaul of the institute, to be implemented in the third-quarter of 2012. This two year project is worth Rs. 1,100 million. Further, we will be utilising Treasury funds to install a Dopler weather radar system in Gongalla, Deniyaya at a cost of Rs. 400 million, shortly. This station will assist us monitor rain bearing clouds and measure rainfall intensity, etc with the most latest technology and issue an accurate forecast.

Once the initial projects are completed, the Met Department will have the capacity to redeem its good name and upgrade the three-day-forecast to a one-week-forecast by end of 2012.