News
1/3rd of SL’s population affected by disasters in 2017; Govt. spent Rs 5.5b
Nearly 1.5 million families or, about a third of the country’s population, were affected by natural and man-made disasters in 2017, majority were victims of drought, landslides and floods.
The largest number of people, close to 4 million persons in 24 districts, were affected by the drought in most parts of the country last year.
In 2017, the Government released Rs 5,515.04 million to District Secretariats for the provision of drinking water using tractors and bowsers to transport it water, dry rations, as well as for compensation for damage to cultivations, and to distribute rice among the affected people, the Ministry of Disaster Management said in its Annual Report for 2017, presented to Parliament this week.
The National Disaster Relief Services Centre which operates under the Ministry, provided the District Secretaries with 6,160 water tanks and 157 water bowsers that included 121 tractor-bowsers and 36 lorry bowsers required for transporting and storing water
Funds from the National Natural Disaster Insurance scheme, effective since April 1, 2016, and covers tsunami, earthquakes, floods, landslides, cyclones and storms (not drought), was used to provide cooked meals, dry rations, insurance covers for deaths, insurance compensation for damaged houses, furniture, small and medium scale industries and equipment, machinery and assessed value of stocks belonging to those industries.
Government contribution for the annual insurance instalment for 2017 was Rs 500 million.
The biggest man-made disaster was the Meethotamulla garbage collapse which also displaced a large number of families, the Report said.
In 2017, the Government increased the compensation paid as funeral aid for the loss of a life, from Rs 15,000 to Rs 100,000.