SAPPERS LAUNCH RESCUE RELIEF OPERATIONS FOR RECENTLY AFFECTED FLOOD VICTIMS

Sapper troops in a massive effort are currently engaged in immediate rescue and relief work in flood-affected areas in close coordination with the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and District Secretariats in respective provinces.As flood levels were fast rising due to torrential rains in the past 72 hours, The Commander Security Force Headquarters (West) and Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers Major General S Ranasinghe RWP RSP ndu psc instructed to Chief Field Engineer Major General GDI Karunaratne RSP psc and Commander Engineer Brigade Brigadier SJMAR Seneviratne RWP USP psc to commenced the rescue and relief operations to prevail the situation. 10 Officers and 143 Sappers are engaging with rescue and relief missions from 25th May 2017 to date (29th May 2017).

Mainly Engineer troops are operating in three sectors in the country as Rathnapura Sector by 12 Field Engineer Regiment, Southern Sector (Galle and Kalutara) by 5 Field Engineer Regiment and Colombo Sector by Engineer Brigade Troops. Matara Sector (Katupatha, Morawaka, Deniyaya, Pitabaddara and Athuruliya) by Sri Lanka School of Military Engineering. 20 x Backhoe Loaders, 5 x Excavators, 5 x High bed Trailers and Rescue Boats of Machine fleet have been deployed for the mission. \r\n\r\nPresently troops are engaging in the General area Akuressa, Boossa for flood relief operations and Morawaka, Kalawana, Baduraliya, Agalawaththa, Eheliyagoda, Labugama area for Land Slide rescue missions. Another team of sappers are engaging securing of dam in Hadigalla in Kalutara District. Engineer troops have reopened the Eheliyagoda-Dehiowita road and Nivithigala-Kalawana road for public transport which were closed due to landslides by pm hours on 29 May 2017. Recovering process of Kaluaggala-Labugama road and Morawaka Road are still ongoing.