Task Force Just Arrived in Sri Lanka

BONN/COLOMBO 29th December (PROTEXT) - The sixteen-man teamof the THW Fast Deployment Unit Water Supply Abroad (SEEWA)landed at 13 oclock local time (8 oclock MEZ) in the capital ofSri Lanka. From Colombo the task forces will be taken to Galle.The area around the city located in the south of the islandbelongs to those areas in Sri Lanka that are most severelyaffected by the inundations. On behalf of the Federal Ministry ofthe Interior the THW team will operate two drinking waterprocessing plants in Galle in order to improve the supply ofclean water to the population. The plants have an efficiency of6,000 cubic metres per hour. In addition the SEEWA team will usefour pumps to repair the contaminated wells. The local waterquality is controlled by means of a mobile drinking waterlaboratory. Beyond that THW has tools and equipment for therepair of faulty water pipes and electricity cables. Meanwhilethe nineteen-man team of the Fast Deployment Unit Salvage Abroad(SEEBA) has started in the Thai Khao Lak with the support ofsalvage work and deployment co-ordination. The team had beensent to Phuket in the night of 28 December. As an instrument ofthe Federation THW is used in order to carry out fast, reliableand effective help, not only at home but also abroad. With itsso-called Fast Deployment Units THW takes account of the timefactor in the case of emergencies. THW had already been activein Sri Lanka in May 2003. Devastating rain falls had floodedvast parts of the south of the island. At three locations in thedistrict of Galle drinking water processing plants were built.During the nearly four-week deployment more than 2.1 millionlitres of clean drinking water were delivered, 179 wells werecleaned and 62 water tanks with 100,000 litres capacity were setup. Beyond that THW drinking water specialists trained localhelpers in the professional cleaning of wells, the realisationof laboratory work and the operation of drinking waterprocessing plants. THW is a disaster control organisation of theFederation. With its highly specialised units THW fully meetsthe requirements of disaster control and local damageprevention. The structure of THW is unique in the world. As adisaster control organisation THW relies on voluntary commitmentand is a partner to people in need. Country-wide more than76,000 citizens give up their leisure time to work in the 665THW local communities for the benefit of people in need. Themaximum protection of the citizens is ensured thanks to the closeco-operation with the fire brigade, other relief organisations,the police as well as the Federal Border Police. In each of the66 THW Geschäftsführerbereiche distributed in eight federalcommunities the components of the local communities complementeach other in such a way that the entire deployment spectrum ofTHW is available to the whole federal territory. So THWspecialists can always be where their presence is needed.

Further informationen on thw.de. Contact: Department EA 4,PR Tel.: 0228/ 940-2777 Presse-Information BundesanstaltTechnisches Hilfswerk Leitung

www.thw.de Herausgeber: Bundesanstalt Technisches HilfswerkReferat für Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit Deutschherrenstraße93-95 53177 Bonn Fon: 0228 / 940 2777 E-Mail: presse@thw.de

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