JICA funds 2 more Doppler radars despite disastrous Rs 400m attempt earlier

The Meteorological ( Met) Department has secured Japanese funding for two more Doppler radars, after its first Rs 400 million attempt to install one, with World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) collaboration, ended in a costly disaster.

But the new Doppler radars, for which agreements were signed with the Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA) in June 2017, have not been set up either, the Auditor General’s 2018 Annual Report states.

A Doppler radar measures the direction, speed or velocity of objects such as drops of precipitation ( rain). It helps determine whether movement in the atmosphere is horizontally towards or away from the radar, thereby assisting in weather forecasting, online sources say.

Sites near the Puttalam and Pottuvil meteorological centres have been identified for the installation of the radars. JICA offered grant assistance, as the earlier initiative had failed, and Sri Lanka needs a Doppler radar system for early warning.

Access roads, monitoring and maintenance capabilities were duly assessed when selecting the two locations. However, less importance was given to “wave barriers, radar misleading resistors and environmental impacts” of the project, says the National Audit Office (NAO). The land extents required were not specifically identified and the survey plans not made. The acquisition process has also been slow. The Met Department said, however, that there were tasks to be completed by the Japanese partner, before the project could move further. “Our side is fulfilled, the frequency has been taken from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission ( TRC),” said Met Department Director General Athula Karunanayake.

The Japanese partner will start civil works in April and has now requested additional security at the sites, including the installation of cameras, gates and fences. “They said the cost of these could be met with their grant, but the agreement was signed with the General Treasury, so I have sent our justification to them (Treasury) and have yet to receive a reply,” Mr Karunanayake said. Bids have also not been called at the Japanese end to buy two radars.

The NAO has repeatedly highlighted how nearly Rs 400 million set aside for the erection of the first Doppler radar was squandered. The issue is flagged again in the latest report. The money was passed in 2006-2007--more than 13 years ago--to establish a Doppler radar system in Sri Lanka. A Trust Fund was set up with the WMO, for implementation.

By April last year, US$ 1.84 million or Rs 333.4 million had been spent from the Trust Fund, without the Doppler radar ever being put in place. The Gonagala peak in Deniyaya was selected for the instrument, on the WMO’s advice, but no feasibility study was done on the location. The radar was to be installed on a 20m high tower. The Cabinet in January 2010 approved the contract for building the tower and transporting the imported radar from the Colombo Port to Gonagala, to the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB). There was no tender.

The WMO bought the Doppler radar on Met Departments instructions, from the Alabama- based Enterprise Electronics Corporation. Installation started in October 2012, but the vehicle that was transporting a required crane crashed down the hill, when a section of the driveway collapsed. The driver was injured. Consequently, activity was halted.

In October 2013, the equipment was installed. But the supplier then notified WMO that “electronic connectivity” could not be provided. It was decided to resend the radar to the factory for repairs. But it was found that the cost of repairs would be too high to justify despatching the parts to the US again.

An insurance cover of Rs 142.68 million was taken out on the equipment from Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation. However, despite parts of the Radar system sustaining damage in storage and transportation, compensation was not claimed.