China will gift three new seismic stations to Sri Lanka

By Ifham Nizam

The People’s Republic of China will provide financial assistance and technical support for establishing three new seismic stations in the country, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday.

With the new Chinese additions Sri Lanka will have seven seismic stations.

Amaraweera told journalists yesterday that there were currently four seismic stations at Pallekele, Buddhangala, Mahakanadarawa and Hakmana.

“China has pledged to provide us with three more fully equipped seismic centres. We will establish one of them at the boundary of Western and North Western Provinces,” he added.

“We cannot say for sure that there will be no earthquakes here. Therefore, we will establish all the facilities required for seismic studies in the country,” the minister said.

Amaraweera also said sand, gravel, and soil excavation sites had become very unstable due to the lack of proper rehabilitation. The Minister stressed that it was the responsibility of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau to rehabilitate the excavated areas after the completion of the extraction.

Minister Amaraweera said the government will launch a new programme called ‘Let’s Listen to the Earth” to rehabilitate excavated sites. One of its first steps under the project is to expand seismology studies.