As enacted

Contents

25. Interpretation

Official English translation. The Sinhala text prevails.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“disaster” means the actual or imminent ocurrence of a natural or man-made event, which endangers or threatens to endanger the safety or health of any person or group of persons in Sri Lanka, or which destroys or damages or threatens to destroy or damage any property, and includes—

(a)

a landslide;

(b)

a cyclone;

Sri Lanka Disaster Management

(c)

a flood;

(d)

a drought,

(e)

an industrial hazard;

(f)

a tsunami (seismic wave);

(g)

an earthquake;

(h)

an air hazard;

(i)

a maritime hazard;

(j)

a fire;

(k)

an epidemic;

(l)

an explosion;

(m)

air raids ;

(n)

civil or internal strife ;

(o)

chemical accident;

(p)

radiological emergency;

(q)

oil spills including inland and marine oil spills;

(r)

nuclear disaster;

(s)

urban and forest fire;

(t)

coastal erosion; and

(u)

tornados, lightening strikes and severe thunder storms;

“disaster counter-measures” means measures that are necessary or desirable to avert, minimize or counter the effect of an impending disaster or consequent to a disaster, to mitigate the effect of such disaster on members of the public or any property belonging to an individual or the State, and includes the conduct of, or participation in, training for such purposes ;

“public corporation” means any corporation, board or other body which was or is established by or under any written law with funds or capital wholly or partly provided by the Government from the

Consolidated Fund by way of grant, loan or otherwise; and

“resources” includes manpower or animals, vehicles, boats, plant, appratus, implements, earthmoving eqipment or other equipment of any kind, finance, storage facilities, movable and immovable property considred essential for the life of the community.

Read on from s 26