SRI LANKA'S UPCOUNTRY GEOGRAPHY ALTERED BY CYCLONE DITWAH

The new images will help identify landslide-hit zones and assess damage to river basins, land, and agricultural areas.

- By INDIKA SRI ARAVINDA

Outer areas remain mostly unaffected, but some regions may need resettlement. Land use map to be revised. A new national-level map of Sri Lanka is being prepared. Obtaining detailed satellite images will become a priority once the ongoing disaster situation stabilizes and repairs to rivers, lakes, canals, bridges, roads, and highways are completed.

Survey Department plans to obtain high-resolution satellite images from space stations orbiting Sri Lanka to support an accurate re-mapping process.

Sri Lanka's upcountry geography has changed in certain areas due to landslides triggered by cyclone Ditwah, warranting revision of the land-use map series in view of several areas severely, Surveyor General N.K.U. Rohana said.