The 16th meeting of the National Council for Disaster Management was held today (15) at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
During the meeting, a Cabinet Memorandum was presented on the establishment of a National Integrated Disaster Management Mechanism and on proposed amendments to the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act, No. 13 of 2005.
Attention was also drawn to reducing landslide risks in plantation areas through a multi-stakeholder approach. In this regard, the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) was tasked with coordinating relevant stakeholders, plantation companies and local authorities to provide recommendations and establish a certification mechanism for activities including the construction and rehabilitation of drainage systems, the President’s Media Division stated.
The Council further discussed the formulation of a Central Fragile Area Management Plan. This includes the appointment of technical committees, the preparation of an integrated plan by consolidating data from all relevant institutions and the development of a unified digital platform that allows shared access to such data across agencies.
In order to ensure transparency in the coordination of all foreign relief assistance and supplies, approval was granted to establish a Foreign Aid Coordination Committee, along with the delegation of the necessary powers.
The National Council for Disaster Management convened under the President’s leadership on August 7 after a lapse of seven years and met again on the night of November 27 in response to an emergency disaster situation. The Council met again today to take policy decisions and provide institutional guidance aimed at restoring normalcy to public life following Cyclone Ditwah.
The Director General of the Disaster Management Centre informed the Council that approximately 2.2 million people across the island have been affected by Cyclone Dithwa. A total of 6,164 houses have been fully damaged and 112,110 houses partially damaged. As of 14 December 2025, 72,911 people are residing in 796 safe shelters. Extensive discussions were held on the ongoing programmes to provide relief, facilitate resettlement and restore livelihoods to normalize daily life.
Under the Government’s programme to identify a permanent solution to protect the Central Highlands, the President stated that 15,000 houses currently located in high-risk zones have been identified. He further noted that the Government expects to complete the construction of 8,000 houses for these affected families by the end of 2026.
The meeting also addressed issues related to the disbursement of the Rs. 25,000 allowance provided by the Government for cleaning flood-affected houses. The President instructed officials to resolve the identified issues and complete the payment of the relevant funds within this week.
Special attention was paid to challenges in data collection and updating. Both the President and the Leader of the Opposition emphasized the need for a structured and systematic process. The necessity of a legal framework to support data collection and updating was also discussed, with the President stressing the importance of identifying practical solutions to this issue within the next three years.
Referring to the floods in 2016, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma revealed that the Government had paid Rs. 7.51 billion to affected citizens as compensation for damages, while reinsurance recoveries amounted to only Rs. 1.42 billion, resulting in a net loss of Rs. 5.79 billion to the State, as identified by the Ministry of Finance.
The President emphasized that if such an insurance scheme is to be continued, it must be structured in a manner that is financially viable for the Government while ensuring maximum protection for beneficiaries. He further stressed that any decision to reintroduce the scheme should be made only after obtaining expert advice and implementing the necessary critical reforms.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K. D. Lalkantha, Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala, Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government A. H. M. H. Abhayaratne, Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply Susil Ranasinghe, Minister of Energy Eng. Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Transport and Highways Bimal Ratnayake, Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Upali Pannilage, Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara(Retd), Governor of the Western Province Hanif Yusuf, Governor of the North Western Province Tissa Warnasuriya, Governor of the Central Province Prof. S. B. S. Abeykoon, Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province Champa Janaki Rajaratne, Governor of the Eastern Province Jayantha Lal Chandrasekara, Governor of the North Central Province Wasantha Kumara Wimalasiri, Governor of the Northern Province Nagalingam Vethanayahan and Governor of the Uva Province Kapila Jayasekara, were among those present.
Also in attendance were Opposition Members of Parliament S. M. Marikkar, B. Ariyawansa, Pathmanathan Sathyalingam, Anuradha Jayaratne and Udumalebbe, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Sampath Thuyacontha, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Commissioner General of Essential Services and Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government S. Aloka Bandara, Director General of the Department of Meteorology A. K. Karunanayake, Director General of the Disaster Management Centre, Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda, along with the Commanders of the Tri-Forces, heads of the security forces and senior government officials.
(PMD)
