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Govt. undecided on PM’s call for state of emergency
View(s):By Namini Wijedasa
Disaster Management Department statistics published online yesterday show that 493,556 people across the districts of Trincomalee, Gampaha, Hambantota, Moneragala, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Puttalam and Kandy have been hit so far by the current drought, said to be the worst in four decades.
This comes in the wake of a Cabinet paper put up by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe a fortnight ago, proposing a state of emergency be declared in view of the worsening drought and warning that drinking and agricultural water supplies have been hit everywhere.
The Sunday Times political column last week exclusively reported that Premier Wickremesinghe had made this proposal so that it would even facilitate the deployment of troops in relief work. The Cabinet, however, deferred taking a decision on a request by the line minister, Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa who wanted to further discuss the issue with a committee headed by President Maithripala Sirisena.
The Prime Minister’s note, titled “Formal Declaration of Emergency in view of the impending severe drought” was presented to the Cabinet in late January. It warned that the drought in many parts of the country is getting worse. Sri Lanka would soon need the assistance of other countries and agencies such as the United Nations, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank (WB).
“I am of the view that the assistance of other countries and the agencies such as the UN, the ADB and the World Bank could be accessed easily if a formal declaration of emergency is made in view of the impending severe drought,” he told the Cabinet. “Further, precise needs have yet to be identified and a more focused all-of-Government approach is required when seeking assistance.”
The note also said the UN’s Resident Coordinator had suggested a meeting to discuss the crisis with the diplomatic community with the participation of the President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Disaster Management Minister and other relevant officials to get required assistance in “a more focused manner”.
“In view of the above, it is suggested to instruct the Ministry of Disaster Management to report to the Cabinet of Ministers on declaring an emergency situation, after having discussions with all the relevant stakeholders and taking into consideration the drought indicators and indices included in the ‘Handbook of Drought Indicators and Indices’ published by the World Meteorological Organisation.”
But despite it being two weeks since the note was submitted, there has been no further movement. A Cabinet source said it was “discussed on and off” and that a committee was appointed comprising relevant ministers to make recommendations on how to face the drought.
An Emergency in view of natural disasters is usually declared under the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act by the President. The law falls under the purview of the Disaster Management Minister.
“The decision was that our Minister (Anura Priyadarshana Yapa) should submit a proposal to the Cabinet but he has not taken a final decision,” said S.S. Miyanwala, Secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management. “He wants to consult with the President”.
The Minister wanted to examine the pros and cons of declaring such a State of Emergency, he continued. Among the aspects to be considered is whether such a move would affect the tourism industry which is one bright spot in Sri Lanka’s sombre economic situation. Officials have presented a paper to the Minister with all the implications.
“Most probably, a decision will be taken next week,” Mr. Miyanwala said. The Disaster Management Act allows the President to issue a proclamation declaring that a State of Disaster exists in respect of any area or areas or of the whole country. For this, the extent or severity of a disaster or impending disaster must likely be so great “that any counter-measures that may become necessary to counter such disaster or impending disaster are beyond the resources or means normally available to the administration”.
Such a proclamation will remain in force for two months and may, if necessary, be extended for further periods not exceeding two months at a time. A National Emergency Operation Plan will then come into effect.
Among other things, declaring a State of Disaster — or “Emergency”, as defined in the Prime Minister’s note to Cabinet — will allow Sri Lanka to reschedule loans and obtain speedy financial assistance from donors and funding agencies.
For instance, the WB has a “Development Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option” which is a contingent credit line that provides immediate liquidity to member countries in the aftermath of a natural disaster. It is only one of a broad spectrum of financing instruments available from the WB in the event of natural disasters.