The Registrar General’s Department of Sri Lanka has announced that the necessary legal provisions have been implemented to register the deaths of individuals who died or went missing due to landslides and floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Issuing a statement, the department said that if a person, relative, or close friend has been reported missing as a result of the disaster, legal measures have been established to officially register the deaths of such missing persons.
According to the department, the Temporary Provisions for Registration of Deaths in National Disaster Areas and Administrative Districts were published in an Extraordinary Gazette on December 02, in line with the relevant Act.
For the registration of a missing person’s death under these provisions, an application form containing the required information, along with an affidavit confirming the facts must be submitted to the Grama Niladhari of the area where the individual last resided, the department said.
The Grama Niladhari is required to forward the application to the Divisional Secretary.
The request will then be displayed for public objections for two weeks at both the Divisional Secretariat and the respective Grama Niladhari office.
If no objections are raised, the Divisional Secretary will submit the application to the Deputy or Assistant Registrar General in charge of the authorized zone for approval.
In cases where objections arise, an investigation must be conducted before appropriate action is taken, the department stated.
The Registrar General’s Department further noted that for requests pertaining to certificates of absence, Divisional Secretaries have been instructed to accept applications under the same procedure, conduct proper investigations, and issue the certificates accordingly.
Meanwhile, the Department of National Archives reported that many documents have been damaged by the recent floods caused by adverse weather conditions.
Director General Dr. Nadeera Rupasinghe stated that the Kandy District has suffered the most significant damage.
