INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Plans are afoot to amend the National Hydrology Act, paving the way for the creation of Electronic Navigation Charts (ENCs) that could
generate an estimated $200 million annually from ships traversing near Sri Lankan waters, Defence State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon
Media Centre (PMC) on Friday (Nov.24).The state minister pointed out that the existing nautical charts are managed by the British
Hydrographical Office according to an agreement with the NARA Institute
Therefore, steps will be taken to hand over the responsibility of creating ENC to the Navy in the future.Tennakoon said he was appointed to
the position by President Ranil Wickremesinghe during a challenging period when national security and the rule of law had collapsed in the
He stressed the continual importance of ensuring national security, citing lessons learned from the Easter Sunday attacks, emphasizing the
dismissed by simply stating that there is no war in a country
As a nation, we understood this lesson vividly during the Easter Sunday attack
In any country around the world, a significant allocation of funds is made for the security of the nation
423 billion allocated this year, only Rs
169 billion were designated for the armed forces, while the remaining funds supported disaster management, meteorological departments, and
various institutions under the Ministry of Defence.He highlighted the diverse roles of these institutions, including educational
establishments like the National Cadet Corps, Civil Defence Department, and Kotelawala Defence University
Approximately 200,000 patients receive treatment in the outpatient department of Kotelawala Defence University Hospital each year, where
military personnel also play a crucial role
2.5 million for a task force to prevent human trafficking and efforts by the Navy to intercept drugs valued at Rs
33,917 million.The state minister outlined plans to revitalize the National Hydrological Office to capitalize on the approximately 45,000
Unfortunately, the institutions entrusted with this responsibility have neglected their duties since 1983, resulting in the current nautical
charts being over a hundred years old
In line with the recommendations of the International Hydrographical Office, the use of printed nautical charts is set to be completely
phased out by the year 2026
arrived for Sri Lanka to establish itself as a nation capable of creating nautical maps
To achieve this goal, the President has introduced a new bill to Parliament, aiming to empower the hydrological office by amending the
country has incurred substantial financial losses, amounting to billions of rupees in revenue
The indirect losses, particularly from insurance surcharges, have been even more significant
2024, steps will be taken with the support of a World Bank loan to modernize and enhance the accuracy of forecasts in the Department of
Meteorology (Weather Intelligence)
Many countries generate income through high technology, and recognizing this, efforts are underway to issue precise weather forecasts by
Research Institute, there is an initiative to legislate a Building Code for the future
Without such a code, there is a risk of issues arising from buildings constructed without proper standards
The National Building Research Institute has been entrusted with this responsibility, and there is a directive to complete the preparation
