Met. Dept. says 'sorry'

28 May 2013 05:16 am

Meteorology Department today tendered its public apology for naming the recent cyclone which ripped through Indian Ocean as Mahasen, one of the greatest Kings of Sri Lanka following a public disapproval of naming the tropical storm after the King.

The department’s Director General S.H. Kariyawasm said the department had no intention to dishonour King Mahasen by proposing his name for a cyclone.

 “We had no intention to dishonour King Mahasen. If there was any humiliation caused to the nation by using the name to a cyclone we tender our apologise to them,” he said.

The cyclone naming ritual in the region is based on names given by the countries around the Bay of Bengal and it had begun the naming in 2004.

The Director General made the apology submitting a letter to the National Council for the Protection of Historical Irrigation Cultural Heritage (NCPHICH).(Darshana Sanjeewa) (Pix by Isuru Perera)