16 August 2023 09:25 am Views - 125
By Yohan Perera
It was revealed that relevant institutions including the Department of Meteorology had not taken effective steps to face the current prolonged dry spell though there were some prior knowledge.
This was revealed at the meeting of Committee on Public Accounts (COPA). Members inquired as to whether there was prior knowledge on the current dry spell.
“The Director General said that he was informed about this during the Monsoon discussions held last April with the Irrigation Department, Mahaweli Authority and related government institutions and other regional countries. However, the Committee members have pointed out that the relevant institutions did not provide them with the relevant information, so until the situation is resolved through an act, a cabinet decision or a joint mechanism should be prepared with all the relevant institutions. It was also instructed to report to COPA in this regard within a month.
It was disclosed that the Government has incurred a loss of Rs 78 million due to a failed project for the construction of a radar system provided by the World Meteorological Organization in Gongala area.
The Committee emphasized the need for effective projects to be implemented quickly by the Department of Meteorology to provide accurate forecasts with modern technology instead of such projects which have incurred huge losses and have completely failed.