The Department of National Archives has made an urgent public appeal for freezer facilities to preserve large volumes of State records damaged in recent floods, warning that irreplaceable documents face permanent destruction unless immediate action is taken to halt mould growth.
In a statement, National Archives Director General Dr. Nadeera Rupesinghe said hundreds of cubic metres of public records have been soaked in floodwaters. “We have no time before mould renders them permanently destroyed,” she cautioned.
Dr. Rupesinghe explained that freezing is a critical first-response method for safeguarding wet documents. “Freezing water-damaged documents stops mould growth and stabilizes materials until proper conservation treatment is possible. 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.”
She noted that institutions across the country urgently require both fixed and mobile freezer units capable of storing large quantities of bound volumes and bundled files. “We understand this is an extraordinary request during an already difficult time. We are asking for temporary access—weeks to months—in existing freezer facilities,” she said.
The department is specifically seeking donated freezer space, offering in return full documentation of the contribution for Corporate Social Responsibility reporting and national recognition as partners in safeguarding the country’s documentary heritage.
“These are not abstract historical records,” Dr. Rupesinghe emphasized. “These are the documents citizens rely on to prove who they are, what they own, and what they are owed.” The collections at risk include decades of court records, legal evidence, personnel files linked to pensions and benefits, financial records needed for audits, administrative records, and historical materials that form the nation’s memory.
“The business community has always been a partner in Sri Lanka’s development,” she added. “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.”
Urgent appeal for freezer facilities to save flood-damaged records
