Civil Defense Organisation to fund Rs. 750mn for development in SL

Colombo: Italy’s Civil Defense Organisation has agreed to provide a total of Rs. 750 million in aid to Sri Lanka for development. An agreement to this effect was signed in the presence of Italian President Giorgio Napolitana by Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasingha with the Civil Defense Organisation of Italy.

Under this agreement Italy will furnish Rs. 450 million for development projects of the Disaster management Centre and Rs. 300 millions as technical aid.

The Disaster Management Ministry said the agreement would be beneficial for conducting special training programmes and Technical Aid Programmes for officials of the Departments focusing on the disaster management process such as: Disaster Management Centre, Department of Meteorology, National Building Research Organization, Department of Irrigation, Coastal Development Authority and Geological Survey and Mines Bureau.

The Rs. 450 million would be used for flood control projects in Batticaloa, Ampara, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Dambulla, where heavy floods occurred recently.