Commander Observes Landslide-Affected Morawaka & Other Southern Areas

Lieutenant General Crisanthe De Silva, Commander of the Army, this morning (5), accompanied by several Senior Officers visited flood affected areas in Morawaka, Akuressa and Matara in the South with the objective of receiving an update on ongoing post-disaster developments, status quo of emergency relief services and preparedness for eventualities, if any.

In Matara, the Commander of the Army participated in a post-disaster relief meeting, held at the 3 Gemunu Watch Headquarters, attended by Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, Overall Operations Commander for Flood Relief work, General Officer Commanding, 58 Division and a few other Senior Officers. In the afternoon, the Commander joined a Presidential meeting at Matara where HE the President presided a co-ordinating conference on relief operations and other remedial work. Later on, the Commander with several other senior officers went to Morawaka and Akuressa areas.

During his visit, the Commander met with sections of Army troops, still engaged in post-disaster relief work, near the landslide-struck Morawaka area and shared a couple of views with them. Similarly, the Commander inquired into the needs of the troops working round the clock and distribution of relief stocks through the Disaster Management Centre and other relevant state agencies. He also went to Akuressa area as part of the itinerary and saw for himself how the disaster had struck many dwellings in surrounding township and village areas alike. He also spoke to affected civilians in the area.

Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, Commander, Security Forces – West, General Officer Commanding, 58 Division and a few more Senior Officers were associated with the Commander’s visit to those areas.