Safety roads built by Red Cross in Diddeniya, Kurunegala vested in the public

04/03/2014 – Kurunegala, Sri Lanka: The President of Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRCS) Jagath Abeysinghe declared open three safety roads in Diddeniya in the Kurunegala district, constructed at a cost of over two million Sri Lankan rupees.

The safety roads will now serve over 500 families located in several villages in the Diddneiya village. The Pradeshiya Saba of Ibbagamuwa also contributed financially to construct these safety roads in the village.

The roads will now serve and help people in the village to evacuate in times of disaster, whether be it floods or other hazards.

Kurunegala has been declared as a flood-prone District, consequent to a study done by the National Building Research Organization (NBRO). The declaration follows the floods that ravaged several villages in the Kurunegala District in 2012.

The climatic conditions in Kurunegala have changed, leading to more natural disasters affecting the District and the surrounding environs, as per the study.

Addressing the gathering the President of SLRCS said, “The Sri Lanka Red Cross will continue to aid the people who are in the forefront of facing disasters. We have identified several areas in Sri Lanka that needs assistance like this and will continue to do our duty of safeguarding those communities”

The President of the SLRCS Kurunegala Branch M. K. D. Abeyrathne, the Chairman of the Ibbagamuwa Pradeshiya Saba I. U. K. Sumith Udukumbura, the Branch Executive Officer of Kurunegala SLRCS Branch Mrs. Priyadharshani were present at the opening ceremony.

These roads were constructed as part of SLRCS Integrated Programme for Community Safety and Resilience.