16th May 2023 16:45:43 Hours
Due to adverse weather condition prevailing in the island, 613 Infantry Brigade area of 61 Infantry Division has caused widespread damage and left many people affected. The situation demanded immediate action, and the General Officer Commanding of 61 Infantry Division passed down necessary guidelines to 613 Brigade Commander to conduct Disaster relief missions for those who were affected by several disaster situations as per the direction of the Commander Security Forces (West).
Under the supervision of the Brigade Commander of 613 Infantry Brigade, several disaster relief operations have been carried out by search and rescue teams from 613 Infantry Brigade and its under-command Battalions in their area of responsibility as an immediate response.
The relief works began with troops of 3 (v) Battalion Gemunu Watch providing cooked meals among the flood-affected people in the Porupitiya Grama Niladari Division, Kotapola Divisional Secretariat of Matara District, on 14 May 2023. The relief works continued on 15 May 2023, 12 Army personnel including two Officers along with a truck and a tractor were deployed to facilitate transportation for the hospital staff and patients who were unable to move their residences as well as carry out day-to-day activities due to the inundation of several places on the Kamburupitiya Mulatiyana Road in Kamburupitiya Divisional Secretariat as requested by the Director of Kamburupitiya Base Hospital from the Commander of 613 Infantry Brigade.
The situation demanded more attention and a funeral ceremony was taking place in the Adapana Kalugedara area, and due to the inundation of several places on the Kamburupitiya Mulatiyana road, transportation facilities were needed to transport the dead body and the attendees. To address this need, a truck and a tractor were deployed from 613 Infantry Brigade, along with 10 troops, to provide transportation facilities.
In addition to the said disaster relief actions, troops from 12 Battalion of Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment were deployed along with a boat to transport the dead body of an 85-year-old male resident who had passed away due to natural causes in the Korabuwana Ransagoda area of Pahala Kade Korabuwana in order to carry out his last rites.
Furthermore, a person residing in the Adoluwa of Mawarala police area of the Pasgoda Divisional Secretariat had been missed due to the flood situation in the area. To search for the said missing person, one Officer and 15 Other Ranks from 3 (v) Battalion Gemunu Watch were engaged in search and rescue in the morning hours on 15 May 2023.
As the water was about to overflow from the B13 dam on the Kadduwa Kamburapitiya road in the Malimbada Divisional Secretariat of the Matara district, 20 troops from 3 (v) Battalion Gemunu Watch placed sandbags along the B13 dam on 15 May 2023 as per the request made by the Matara District secretariat before it was badly affected, causing water leakage.
In conclusion, the adverse weather condition prevailing in the island have caused widespread damage and left many people affected. However, the immediate action taken by the Security Forces (West) Army personnel have provided relief to those affected by several disaster situations. The tireless efforts of the search and rescue teams and the troops have helped to mitigate the damage caused by the adverse weather condition and have provided hope to the affected people.
