Troops Save Lives of 413 Cattle, Drifted away in Overflowing Flood Waters

Troops serving 652 and 653 Brigades of the 65 Division of the Security Force HQ-Wanni in the past 48 hours ending Sunday (6) afternoon with the support of villagers and Disaster Management Centre workers rescued a record number of 413 cattle while being drifted away in flood waters after the Periyamadu tank in Mannar overflowed its bunds as a result of continuing torrential rains and cyclonic weather patterns in the area.

Alert to emergency developments, the Commander, Security Forces-Wanni Major General Priyantha Perera, together with the General Officer Commanding, 65 Division Major General Tikiri Dissanayaka and under the supervision of the Commander 652 Brigade, Brigadier Udaya Herath and the Commander 653 Brigade, Brigadier Sanka Jayamaha, launched the rescue operation with hundreds of All Ranks since cattle belonging to villagers are useful and associated with their generation of income for livelihooods and agriculture.

24 Sri Lanka Light Infantry (24 SLLI) troops and Disaster Management Centre workers, together with owners of those cattle at first recovered 300 cattle, trapped in swelling waters around the tank bund while 10 SLLI and 24 Gajaba Regiment troops rescued 113 more cattle, being washed away or remained submerged in low-lying catchment areas of the overflowing tank under the guidance of their respective Commanding Officers.

Troops of the 3 Commando Regiment, rising to the occasion deployed two boats immediately and actively assisted to rescue those drowning cattle on the directions of the Commander 653 Infantry Brigade. However, troops later came across carcasses of 12 cattle, scattered in affected areas having failed to sustain in the floods. Those rescue missions ended on Sunday (6) afternoon. Similarly, troops immediately brought down a veterinary surgeon in the area and provided those cattle with necessary medicine and injections, too.

Hours before the cyclone 'Burevi' entered the eastern coast, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Army hurried to the Wanni region and alerted the troops to be prepared for any emergencies since the adverse weather could disrupt the normalcy in the region. Running sport media | balerínky