News
Met Dept hit by shower of failures; COPA strictures
A digital panel installed at the Met Deparment premises in Colombo to provide weather information to the people is no indication that the department is geared to meet the new challenges. Above and bottom: Devices at the Met Department premises to gather weather-related data.
The Meteorological Department is struggling to ride out a storm amid a series of shortcomings that have led to inaccurate data and incomplete projects and stressed the need to update technology.
These shortcomings were exposed during a recent meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) in Parliament.
The meeting, presided over by COPA Chairman and Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna, examined the Auditor General’s report and the performance of the Meteorological Department.
The issue of inactive rain gauges and the data received was brought up during the meeting.
It was disclosed that some 500 manual gauges had been installed, but at times the data received from these locations were inaccurate or delayed, and of the 122 automatic gauges, about 70 were not functioning.
Met Department officials explained that batteries were the main reason for the failure to reactivate the automatic gauges.
It was also revealed that about half of another set of 38 automatic gauges were non-operational.
The department was directed to launch a programme to rectify the defects within a month.
One of the main issues highlighted during this meeting was a loss of Rs. 78 million due to a failed project to construct a facility in Gongala to house a radar system given by the World Meteorological Organisation. This project began in 2008.
It was revealed that Rs 402 million had been spent on it. Of this amount, Rs. 323 million was from the World Meteorological Organisation.
The committee members emphasised the need to use updated technology and equipment to consistently provide accurate information. They also highlighted the need for effective projects to be implemented quickly to prevent further losses and failures.
Further, the COPA committee questioned the Met officials about why the current drought situation was not being accurately predicted. Met Department Director General Athula Karunanayake said that he warned of it at the monsoon discussions held last April with officials of the Irrigation Department, the Mahaweli Authority, and other stakeholders.
It was also disclosed that audit committees had not held meetings in the absence of an audit officer.
The COPA Chairman said he was not satisfied with the Met Department’s work, saying that the department ranked low in the COPA committee’s programme to assess the effectiveness of government institutions.
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