By Lakna Paranamanna

Special search and rescue groups are to be established around the country in order to be deployed during a national catastrophe, an official from the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.

The official told Daily Mirror that members of the armed forces as well as other individuals would be appointed to these search and rescue teams that are to be established on both national as well as district levels. The proposal for the need of search and rescue teams had been made on Monday at the 5th Disaster Management National Council meeting held yesterday. 

The meeting was presided over by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and had been mainly held in light of the recent floods which occurred as a result of the heavy rains during the past few weeks. A broad discussion had been held on the recent floods during the meeting held yesterday.

Among the other proposals that were made during the meeting was to amend the Disaster Management Act 2005 in the aim of building a safe Sri Lanka where measures could be taken in order to give priority to prevent disasters from occurring rather than providing relief measures once a disaster occurs. (Daily MIrror online)