Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi yesterday urged politicians and other groups to refrain from visiting affected areas since the President and the government will look after the affected people and provide relief assistance to them.“I also informed the Inspector General of Police not to allow politicians to visit the affected areas. The officials engaged in disaster relief operations should be allowed to do their job without hindrance,” he told the media at the Disaster Management Centre yesterday.
The Defence Secretary said relief activities have been delayed due to heavy traffic reported in the affected areas because of visitors.
He added that according to Water Board sources, it had taken nearly five hours for water bowsers to reach the landslide affected area in Aranayaka from Colombo because of the heavy traffic caused by visitors.
Hettiarachchi said measures will also been taken to resettle all families living in flood prone areas in safer locations under the proposed New City Colombo plan.
“The New City Colombo was collectively planned by a group of engineers attached to the Department of Irrigation. This plan has already been provided to the Megalopolis Ministry for implementation on the instructions of the President,” the Secretary said.
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