The latest discoveries by the National Audit Office (NAO) have rippled through Sri Lanka’s disaster management structure, casting significant uncertainty over the country’s readiness to face impending catastrophes.
Exposing severe irregularities and deficiencies within vital institutions responsible for predicting and addressing disasters, the NAO’s findings have sparked heated discussions regarding the effectiveness of Sri Lanka’s disaster management system.
One of the most alarming revelations pertains to the composition of the National Council, mandated by the Disaster Management Act to include the President as Chairman, the Prime Minister as Vice Chairman, the Opposition Leader, relevant ministers, provincial chief ministers, and appointed members from the Opposition.
Shockingly, these crucial appointments have not been made, undermining the council’s ability to foster effective coordination among stakeholders.
Moreover, despite provisions outlined in the act requiring regular meetings of the National Council to address disaster-related matters, the audit has exposed a significant failure to adhere to these requirements.
A special meeting convened by the Prime Minister in November 2021 purportedly to discuss disaster relief efforts failed to meet the act’s stipulated criteria, further underscoring systemic deficiencies in governance.
The discrepancies highlighted in disaster-related plans are equally concerning. Notably, existing plans were found to diverge from international standards set by the Sendai Framework, indicating a lack of alignment with global best practices.
Crucially, the failure to update and enact new disaster management plans, despite legislative mandates, has left Sri Lanka vulnerable to the impacts of natural disasters.
Early warning towers
One of the major revelations from the report concerns the establishment of 77 tsunami and cyclone early warning towers across 14 coastal districts of the island by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).
The Ministry of Disaster Management, acting on behalf of the DMC, had entered into an agreement on 16 December 2016 with a private institute for the rehabilitation and maintenance of these towers, valued at Rs. 135 million including VAT over a five-year period.
However, the audit has found that 55 out of these 77 towers are currently inactive, with only 22 remaining in operational condition.
Despite payments totalling Rs. 90 million to the private institute for tower maintenance since 2016, along with additional expenses of Rs. 576,185 for maintenance activities to date, the effectiveness of the programme has been deemed inadequate.
Automatic meteorological systems
Furthermore, the report has highlighted concerns regarding the automatic meteorological station parameters, which encompass measurements such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed and direction, pressure, and radiation levels.
These parameters are monitored by 38 automatic meteorological systems, valued at Rs. 570 million, acquired through Japanese aid provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2008.
As revealed in the audit report, between 2010 and 2019, expenditure totalling Rs. 123 million was allocated for spare parts for these systems.
However, the audit revealed a lack of proper documentation and record-keeping in the Procurement Division regarding the relevant purchases and establishment of these systems.
Notably, files with appropriate approvals for procurement activities were found to be absent. A maintenance file labelled DOM/EB/IPVPN/01 was presented during the audit by the Establishment Branch, but scrutiny revealed that some of its pages were photocopies rather than originals, raising questions about the integrity of the documentation process.
Of the 38 systems received as a grant from the Japanese Government, comprising seven subsystems each, 20 systems (including two compelled to be removed from operation) were installed within the premises of divisional offices of the Meteorological Department. The remaining 18 systems (with one currently out of order) were established in premises belonging to other institutions, such as the Tea Research Institute, Agricultural Department premises, and university premises.
Risk Index
Furthermore, the NAO has emphasised that according to project proposals approved by the Treasury for the preparation of a multi-hazard risk profile, a crucial initiative under the DMC, it had been stipulated that an assessment, known as the Risk Index, would be conducted based on hazard, vulnerability, and capacity criteria. This assessment aimed to identify all threats and losses incurred by each disaster, encompassing impacts on infrastructure, economic sectors, and the environment.
However, despite the mandate outlined in Section 23 of the National Disaster Management Policy to regularly update this Risk Index and study variations, no action had been taken towards this objective as of the audit date on 31 December 2021.
Use of vehicles
Moreover, for approximately 11 years, no steps had been taken to provide rain and sun protection sheds for the emergency command vehicle, valued at Rs. 22 million, provided to the DMC in 2010, and the display vehicle, worth Rs. 3.8 million, provided in 2009.
Although the mobile display vehicle bearing registration number WPLG-8842, valued at Rs. 3.8 million, had been gifted by the United Nations Development Programme to enhance awareness-building programmes among the public, it had reportedly been misused for transporting goods instead of fulfilling its intended purpose.
Additionally, the logbook for this vehicle was found to be incomplete, further indicating disregard for the vehicle’s designated function.
Human resources
The National Disaster Relief Services Centre’s (NDRSC) approved cadre stood at 626 positions as of 31 December 2021, yet the actual cadre numbered 599, leaving 37 vacancies. These vacancies span various levels: six in seniority, one in tertiary, 20 in secondary, and 10 in primary positions.
The absence of personnel, particularly 37 vacancies in essential roles and 14 Relief Services Officers across 7 district offices, has significantly impacted the institute’s performance. This shortage has hindered the efficient and effective implementation of measures to minimise hazards during disasters.
Furthermore, despite the mention of commencing the preparation of a human resource plan for the NDRSC based on the format outlined in Public Administration Circular No.02/2018 dated 24 January 2018, such a plan had not been formulated as of 31 December 2022 – the date of the audit.
SL ready to confront disasters
Amidst these revelations, The Sunday Morning contacted DMC Director General Major General (Retd) Udaya Herath, who assured that the DMC would address the findings of the audit report while affirming the nation’s readiness to confront any future disasters.
Despite acknowledging the country’s deficiency in modern digitised equipment, Herath emphasised that institutions responsible for issuing early warnings of disasters were interconnected via regional centres.
He highlighted the collaborative efforts between these institutions and the DMC, facilitating the prompt receipt and dissemination of disaster-related early warnings.
Herath also pointed out a critical challenge in the public’s reluctance to heed early warnings issued by authorities.
“The only issue we have is that people are not willing to listen to the early warnings issued by the authorities. They don’t respond to these early warnings. To prevent this, disaster management should be included into a school curriculum,” he said.
Addressing the outdated early warning towers, Herath said: “The DMC is planning to introduce a new system that will swiftly deliver tsunami warnings to the populace.”