Published on - 6/15/2004
A high-ranking US delegation, including the donors, who gifted mine detection dogs to the Sri Lankan Army, in order to accelerate and intensify ongoing de-mining programmes, and to support the government's current resettlement projects for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), visited de-mining sites in Jaffna peninsula during 11-12 June 2004 after they declared open new Dog Kennels erected for Mine Detection Dogs.
The officials of the US Department of State, US Embassy in Sri Lanka, US RONCO Consulting Corporation, US Marshal Legacy Institute and Sri Lanka Association of Washington DC, Embassy of Sri Lanka in the US and senior Military Officers, associated with this delegation, graced the opening ceremony of new kennels at Mailady in Jaffna, built for Mine Detection dogs after they attended the Military Mine Action Office (MMAO) at Palaly. Later the visiting guests went to see de-mining sites at Puttur, Avarankal, Ariyalai,Thanankilappu and Misalei and met officials of the District Steering Committee for Mine Action (DSCMA).
The Sri Lanka Army, the first to engage actively in humanitarian de-mining activities in Sri Lanka way back in March 2001, has to its credit deployed four Field Engineer Regiments on De-mining work in the north and east. By November 2003, the Army has cleared an area of 17,315,917 square meters by recovering 88,866 Anti-Personnel Mines and 4,596 Unexploded Ordnance (UXO).
The combined effort of all other NGOs has been only 1,069,197 sq. meters in terms of the area cleared and they recovered 25,001 Anti-Personnel Mines, 38 Anti-Tank mines and 12,038 UXOs.
The Army has achieved all that with whatever the equipment that were available to them though they had invaluable experience in conventional mine warfare activities. A total of 46 Field Engineers have received injuries to-date while engaged in this process mainly due to absence of advanced technical know-how and modern equipment.
However, following an initiative of the US State Department, the US RONCO Consulting Corporation assisted the Army to get 180 de-miners and 35 paramedics trained and equipped to suit the requirements in the process. Of them 100 de-miners and 20 paramedics are serving the Jaffna peninsula while the balance is deployed in the east of Sri Lanka.
The continued US assistance to the Army by way of Mine Detection Dogs (MDD) and Mechanized elements will boost the Army De-mining arm turning it out to be a versatile one.
