Police Children and Women Bureau units have been instructed to take appropriate action to resolve disputes arising among husbands and wives in order to curb domestic violence which are on the rise.

Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said, according to the statictics for a period of three months, incidents of disputes between husbands and wives, especialy in Hill Country and estate areas have increased.

"Sometimes the husband kills his wife and sometimes the other way around. A similar incident was reported on March 25 where a body of a 28 year old woman was found floating in the Upper Kotmale Reservoir. According to the investigation by the police, the husband had killed the woman and then dumped the body in the reservoir over a family dispute," he said.

There is an alarming escalation in crimes of such nature, he said.

The police media spokesman said, all the officers-in- charge of the police stations have been instructed to handle the disputes that crop up within families immediately.(Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)