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Pope John Paul II, accompanied by Archbishop Nicholas Marcus Fernando, speaks to the then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, and President Chandrika Kumaratunga during his overnight visit to Sri Lanka on January 20, 1995. (File Photo)

Tsunami waves recorded at Kirinda and Colombo on March 28: NARA

Tide gauges operated by the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) at Kirinda and Colombo have measured tsunami waves resulting from the March 28 Sumatra earthquake.

A maximum wave height of 2.3 m was measured at Kirinda while at Colombo (Mutwal Fishery Boat Harbour) the maximum wave height was 0.5 m, NARA said in a release.

The waves were due to an earthquake measuring 8.7 on the Richter scale at 10.09.36 pm (Sri Lanka time) to the north of the Island of Nias.

The waves were recorded at both locations, approximately three hours after the earthquake. The first tsunami waves arrived at 0105 hours at Kirinda while at Colombo they were recorded 10 minutes later.

Dr. E. M. S. Wijeratne from NARA said the tsunami waves were smaller than those recorded during the December 26 tsunami.

On Boxing day a maximum tsunami wave height of 2.3 m was recorded by the NARA tide gauge in Mutwal harbour. "This time only a 0.5 m wave was recorded," Dr. Wijeratne said. "Compared to the normal tidal range of 0.6m, the observed water levels due to tsunami waves were very significant".

Prof. Charitha Pattiaratchi from the University of Western Australia said this is the third recorded instance within the past 122 years that tsunami waves have been recorded in Sri Lanka - the others being the Krakatoa volcanic eruption in 1883 and the December 26 tsunami. He added: "The effects of the March 28 earthquake on Sri Lanka was much smaller because the tsunami waves were directed away (to the south) from Sri Lanka and also the region affected by the earthquake was much smaller (200 km for the March 28 earthquake vs 1,200 km for the Boxing day earthquake).

Receding water levels were also observed at many coastal regions of Sri Lanka. Commander Y. N. Jayaratne of the Sri Lanka Navy said Naval observers, stationed at coastal regions after the tsunami warning was issued, reported receding of water levels from 0100 hours for about 15-20 minutes and has been significant in places like Tangalle (seven) m and Trincomalee (five) m, but surprisingly no observations in Batticaloa.

The Naval teams also observed notable differences from Pulmudai to Muttur and again from Kirinda to Galle, but all were very minor when compared to the previous devastating tsunami.

Khalid

Switzerland grants Rs.700 m for housing reconstruction

Switzerland has joined the Government's housing reconstruction programme in the tsunami affected areas by providing a grant of US $ 7 million (Rs. 700 million), the Finance Ministry said yesterday.

The grant funds will be used to provide cash grants to reconstruct fully or partly damaged houses located outside the coastal buffer zone.

Under the Government housing reconstruction programme household of a fully damaged house will receive a grant of Rs. 250,000 and household of a partly damaged house a grant of Rs. 100,000.

Matara and Trincomalee Districts have been identified for the cash grants provided by Switzerland. The funds will be channelled to the recipients through the Bank of Ceylon and the People's Bank.

Switzerland is the second donor to participate in the Government cash grant programme for housing reconstruction in the Tsunami affected areas. The World Bank, the first to join the Government housing reconstruction programme, provided US $ 40 million (Rs. 4 billion) under an Agreement signed on April 1, 2005.

The Agreement for the Swiss grant was signed yesterday at the Ministry of Finance and Planning. Bernardino Regazzoni, the Ambassador for Switzerland in Sri Lanka signed the Agreement on behalf of the Government of Switzerland and Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka.

Switzerland will also continue its ongoing reconstruction programme of schools in Matara and Jaffna. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and other Swiss donors such as Swiss Solidarity and the Swiss Red Cross are funding the housing repair and reconstruction programme of the Government of Sri Lanka on a participatory scheme.

The funds cover the reconstruction and repair of approximately 4,000 fully or partially damaged houses in the Trincomalee and Matara districts.

All Tsunami affected households outside the restricted area (Buffer Zone) will be provided with phased cash grants to repair or rebuild their houses. The construction process will be managed by the families, while Switzerland will provide expertise through SDC.

Three experts each in Trincomalee and Matara will integrate local governmental bodies to implement the programme and exchange knowledge on the participatory reconstruction programmes.

Additional cash projects as Cash for Host families, Cash for Rent or Cash for Livelihood will be directly implemented by the SDC experts for cash programmes in the same districts with a total budget of US$ two million.

Switzerland has already started a school reconstruction programme in Matara, where SDC will reconstruct seven schools. The post-conflict rehabilitation programme in the North of the island, which Switzerland has been running for two years, is being continued. In the Jaffna Peninsula, SDC has already rebuilt 14 schools and will reconstruct one tsunami affected school.

With its post conflict school rehabilitation programme in Jaffna and the new programmes in Matara and Trincomalee, SDC will be present in three tsunami affected areas of the country.

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President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga participating in a public function in Sevanagala yesterday. Minister Sumedha Jayasena is also in the picture

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Passengers at the Fort Railway Station yesterday morning.

Rail strike ends

A lightning strike by railway controllers from Monday night which inconvenienced thousands of train commuters including schoolchildren and office workers yesterday morning ended late afternoon after Transport Minister Felix Perera intervened.

The operation of trains on all lines was disrupted on account of the strike and the few trains which operated arrived way behind schedule. However, railway services were due to resume yesterday evening.

The strike was launched by train controllers demanding the reinstatement of rail workers interdicted following an accident in Veyangoda last year. They included the engine driver, assistant engine driver, chief controller, deputy chief controller and a station master who worked at Trains Control.

All except the station master had earlier been reinstated.Minister Perera, who considered requests for the station master's reinstatement, discussed the issue with the Public Service Commission and facilitated his reinstatement. The controllers and station masters called off the strike and reported for duty after the letter was delivered.

Commenting on the strike, the Minister said this was the 103rd train strike he faced after assuming duties as the Transport Minister. He had to intervene to solve the strikes. He urged transport unions not to strike as they affect the travelling public.

During the strike yesterday, some trains were held up for several hours near signal posts due to their non-operation. Most office workers who could not attend places of work on time were seen hopping into buses to return home. `From Kelaniya to Dematagoda, six trains were seen halted in a line one after the other for lack of signals. Among them were Vavuniya-Matara and Kandy-Colombo express trains.

Some trains were held up across level crossings causing traffic jams along some highways.

The Railway Controllers Union said the strike was launched to protest the authorities' failure to reinstate the railway controller interdicted in connection with a railway accident at Veyangoda in November last year.

Sumathipala Manawadu, Convenor, Organisation for the Protection of Railway Property said most railway workers have denounced this trade union action launched by controllers saying it demeaned the status of trade unions and their activities.

General Manager of Railways, Priyal de Silva held discussions with representatives of the Railway Controllers Union yesterday noon to seek a solution prior to their meeting with the Minister.

Khalid

LTTE attacks Naval boat off Trinco coast

A Truce Monitor on board a Navy patrol boat in the sea off Trincomalee suffered injuries, as suspected LTTE cadres, in a deliberate ceasefire violation, fired at the boat yesterday morning, Military Spokesman Brigadier Daya Ratnayake told the Daily News yesterday.

The Navy boat on routine patrol came under LTTE fire around 9.52 a.m. in the sea off Upparu, in Trincomalee.

The Truce Monitor on board the Naval boat sustained injuries while running for cover.

"It was a deliberate attempt by the LTTE to provoke the Navy since the SLMM flag was clearly visible and there was every possibility that the LTTE knew about the presence of a SLMM monitor on board," Brigadier Ratnayake added.

The LTTE cadres had fired 75 to 100 rounds at the boat from the land side in Upparu, Brigadier Ratnayake added.

SLMM monitor Alf Stoelam sustained injuries during the incident, when running for cover, the Spokesman added.

The boat, damaged in the incident was later brought to the Sri Lanka Navy camp in Trincomalee.

SLMM spokesperson Helan Olaffsdottir told the Daily News that the SLMM was yet to conclude whether yesterday's attack was a violation of the ceasefire. "We are conducting forensic investigations on the Navy boat to ascertain where the shots were fired from."

She further added that they were in contact with the LTTE ascertain as to why they fired at the Navy boat adding that they have not given any ruling on the incident. She said the presence of the truce monitor on board the Navy boat doesn't make any change towards giving their ruling.

However, she said no one was injured in the incident.

Khalid