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Political disaster behind the floods
By Faraza Farook
The chronic cohabitation incompatibility between President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe struck again when neither of them was able to formulate a proper disaster management plan to deal with the worst ever floods.

Although the function of disaster management was vested with President Kumaratunga and the disaster relief portfolio is assigned to Non-Cabinet Minister Sarathchandra Rajakaruna, neither appears to have discharged their duties in their individual capacities for effective crisis management.

Minister Rajakaruna, the minister of disaster relief has not been assigned any functions by the President, though three months have passed since his appointment.

While President's Spokesman Harim Peiris claimed that the government blocked funds to run the Human Disaster Management Council, Mr. Rajakaruna asserted he held no legal right to carry out his function as the required gazette notification had not been issued.

Mr. Rajakaruna alleged, although he had been sworn in as Minister of Indigenous Medicine and Disaster Relief, only functions related to the former had been outlined in the gazette.

"My wings have been clipped and I have no legal entitlement to carry out duties as Minister of Disaster Relief," he said. The gazette dated February 06, 2003 lists the subjects and functions coming under Indigenous Medicine, while Disaster Relief has been conveniently ignored, the minister said.

"When the Prime Minister asked me last week what I'm doing with regard to the current crisis, I had to inform him that I had no powers to legally act, because the functions have not been gazetted. MPs in Parliament have been putting the same question to me and I had to give the same reply," Mr. Rajakaruna said.

Mr. Peiris said the functions of the Minister of Disaster Relief might not have been gazetted because the minister or the Prime Minister had not sent in the list of functions.

The Sunday Times learns that the Prime Minister in a letter to the President dated December 23, 2002 had suggested that Mr. Rajakaruna be assigned disaster relief instead of disaster management as the President had her reservations about his portfolio.

Accordingly, the functions suggested for Mr. Rajakaruna included -- Casual relief for loss of dwelling houses, implements of trade and fishing craft by fire, rain, storm or other exceptional causes, relief of distress due to floods, droughts, epidemics or other exceptional causes and rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected.
"I do not see therefore that in carrying out these functions there would be any contradiction with Disaster Management," the letter stated.

However, the functions have not been included in the gazette notification todate.
Mr. Peiris said the President believed that disaster management and emergencies should come under the purview of the Head of State and not under a minister.

"Although there may be a ministry, in reality the President coordinates the work".
Admitting that there has been no disaster preparedness in the present instance, Mr. Peiris blamed the government for blocking funds to the Human Disaster Management Council (HDMC) established under the Human Disaster Task Force.
"A programme was brought out but couldn't be implemented, because the UNP government was not willing to allocate funds to run the HDMC. So, the council is now inoperative".

Residents in the affected areas told The Sunday Times as the flood situation was worsening, no proper warning was given to those living in the lower areas, enabling them to vacate their homes or take precautions.

Meanwhile the Met Department said, though a warning of the cyclone was announced, no prediction of a 'very heavy torrential rain' was made. Acting Director G.H.P. Darmaratne said they were able to predict heavy rainfall and it was usual in May and June to experience heavy showers as the South West winds carried a lot of moisture.

The department, he said, could only predict the weather condition and could not make quantitative estimates of the rainfall or impending disasters such as floods.
"We get a lot of rain during this time of the year with the South West monsoon. Therefore, we should be prepared to face situations such as floods," Mr. Darmaratne said.

Ratnapura and Sinharaja are said to receive the highest rainfall every year.
On May 17, Ratnapura received 345.2 mm of rainfall. Matara and Galle were under water because Mousakelle received much rain which resulted in the water levels in the Ginganga and Nilwala river rising.

Flood predictions are to be made by the Irrigation Department, but the authorities are able to project such situation only to particular areas. "We have protection schemes only for particular areas such as Colombo," Director (Asset and Water Management) Senarath Piyadasa said.

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