All strategies adopted by the Coast Conservation Department to prevent coast erosion in the southern coastal belt between Kalutara and Kirinda have been defeated by the recent tsunami. The department’s losses amount to Rs.3,000 millions, Dr. R. A. D. B. Samaranayake, the Director General of Coast Conservation told The Island.

He said they had started the rehabilitation programmes to work out strategies for coast conservation once again.

"We had implemented many programmes to protect the coast before the tsunami struck. Akurala is the most severely damaged area in the southern coast. There are boulders weighing one to two tons which were washed away by the giant waves. We are now designing measures to prevent soil erosion. We have already started to implement coast conservation programmes using government and Asian Development Bank funds," Dr. Samaranayake said.