Sri Lanka inaugurated a cutting-edge disaster early warning system on Tuesday (Dec. 19), spearheaded by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The collaborative initiative involves key stakeholders such as the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), and major telephone service providers, including SLT Mobitel, Hutch, Dialog, and Airtel, according to a statement from the President’s Media Division (PMD).

The official launch ceremony, held at the President's Office, also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing the strategic partnership. Major General (Retired) S. Ranasinghe, Director General of DMC, and Madhushanka Dissanayake, Director General of TRCSL, were the signatories to the MoU.

Prominent figures from the telecommunications industry, including Supun Weerasinghe (Group CEO of Dialog Axiata), Janaka R. Abeysinghe (Group CEO of SLT), Ashish Chandra (CEO of Bharti Airtel Lanka), Sudarshan Giganage (COO of Mobitel Pvt. Ltd.), and Samitra Gupta (Acting CEO of Hutchison Telecommunications Lanka Pvt. Ltd.), actively participated in the signing ceremony.

The primary goal of this state-of-the-art disaster early warning system is to enhance the existing mechanism for ensuring the safety and well-being of Sri Lankan citizens during various disasters, including those triggered by weather and climate changes. The system leverages advanced technology to deliver more effective early warnings through telephone communication networks.

Specifically designed to address tsunami disasters, the system targets nearly sixty thousand (60,000) mobile and landline numbers in 14 districts identified as high-risk areas. It is engineered to swiftly issue an immediate early warning in the form of a distinctive "Ring Tone" notification accompanied by a siren sound.