President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has emphasized the need for a specific and sustainable program to address the recurring flood situation in the country. He noted that frequent flooding requires long-term solutions for effective control, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement.

During a meeting today (14) with officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and the Ministry of Finance at the Presidential Secretariat, the President directed officials to prioritize immediate relief for those affected by the recent inclement weather in Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, and Kalutara, and that following the relief efforts, attention should then shift to repairing damaged properties.

President Dissanayake also instructed the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance to allocate additional funds if necessary for flood relief measures. Rs. 50 million had already been added to the flood relief budget to support relief efforts for those impacted by the disaster under President Dissanayake’s instructions, the PMD added.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardena, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuiyakontha (Retired), Disaster Management Ministry Additional Secretary K.G. Dharmathilaka, Disaster Management Division Director General (Planning) W.W.S. Mangala, National Building Research Organization Director General Dr. Asiri Karunawardena, Meteorological Department Director General A.K. Karunanayake, Senior Assistant Secretary of the National Disaster Relief Service Center Namal Indika Liyanage, and Acting Director General of the Disaster Management Center W.G.A.K. Tillakaratne.