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National Archives appeals for freezers to protect flood-hit records
View(s):The Department of National Archives has issued an urgent appeal for freezers in which to deposit documents damaged in recent floods so as to stop mould from growing on and destroying them.
“Hundreds of cubic metres of irreplaceable public records are now water-damaged,” National Archives Director General Nadeera Rupesinghe said in a statement. “We have no time before mould renders them permanently destroyed.”
“Freezing water-damaged documents stops mould growth and stabilises materials until proper conservation treatment is possible,” she says. “It buys time. Without freezing capacity, we will lose vital records, land registries, court documents, historical records, and the evidence millions of citizens need to rebuild their lives.”
“These public institutions urgently need access to freezer facilities and mobile freezers across the country,” Dr Rupesinghe said. “Public records as bound volumes and bundled records have to be frozen in large quantities. We understand this is an extraordinary request during an already difficult time. We are asking you to provide space in existing freezer facilities on a temporary basis (weeks to months).”
The department has sought freezer facilities without cost. In return, the National Archives offers to support full documentation of the contribution for Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting and national recognition as a partner in preserving Sri Lanka’s evidentiary landscape.
“These are not abstract historical records,” she stresses. “These are the records our citizens need to prove who they are, what they own, and what they are owed.” Among these are court records and legal evidence spanning decades; personnel files affecting pensions and benefits; financial records required for audits and accountability; public records essential for maintaining administrative history; and historical documents that tell our national story.
“The business community has always been a partner in Sri Lanka’s development,” she noted. “Today, we ask you to be partners in preserving the documentary foundation on which business, law, and civil society depend. Every land transaction, every contract, every court case relies on records. Help us save them.”
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